The Teaching Portfolio as a Developmental Intervention: Promoting Developmental Stage Growth in Physical Education Teacher Candidates

• Main Authors: Senne, Terry A, Rikard, G. Linda
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2003
• Subjects: Cognitive Development; Developmental Stages; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Moral Development; Moral Values; Portfolio Assessment; Preservice Teacher Education; Student Development; Student Teachers; Teacher Portfolios

The objectives of this paper are: to briefly describe how teaching portfolios, in tandem with the Teaching/Learning Framework (Sprinthall & Thies-Sprinthall, 1983) can be employed as a developmental intervention to promote stage growth in teacher candidates; to report developmental stage change (moral judgment/principled thinking) results from three developmental portfolio intervention studies; and to draw implications as to the potential use and value of a deliberate, developmental teaching portfolio intervention in the promotion of teacher candidate professional growth. Findings relative to the intervention impact on teacher candidate development (moral judgment) are reported. The data were extracted from three portfolio studies whereby the teaching portfolio intervention, employing a cognitive developmental framework, served as the independent variable. The common dependent variable amongst studies was moral judgment, as measured by Rest's (1986) Defining Issues Test (DIT). Studies 1 and 2 participants were enrolled in the internship semester of their teacher education program. Study 3 consisted of a cohort in their final three semesters of coursework. DIT pre- and post-tests were conducted prior to and following the intervention. Participants were comprised of intact groups (voluntary participants); therefore, findings cannot be generalized except to similar populations. Both one-semester implementation studies revealed no significant gains in moral judgment reasoning. However, significant differences in DIT gain scores were reported for the cohort that received the developmental portfolio intervention. The time factor (continuity) may be a critical factor in promoting stage growth in moral development. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/SM)