QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON TEACHER QUALITY: CASE OF MIDDLE GRADES MATHEMATICS

Resumo

This quantitative study examines whether and how different proxies of teacher quality such as cognitive type of teacher knowledge, coursework and certification are associated with student achievement. In the context of this study, the cognitive type of teacher content knowledge refers to the amount and organization of mathematical facts and procedures, concepts and connections, and models and generalizations in the minds of teachers. Teachers were tested using a specifically designed Teacher Content Knowledge Survey. Teacher preparation and teacher demographic characteristics, such as teaching experience, teacher certification, teacher coursework were collected and analyzed with respect to the cognitive type of teacher knowledge and student achievement. The type of teachers' content knowledge was assessed and tested for correlation with student achievement on the state-mandated standardized test using multivariate methods including, but not limited to, tests for variance and independence, and correlation analysis.