Doctoral Dissertations

Jun Li

Date of Award

12-1996

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Educational Administration

Major Professor

Mary Jane Connelly, Kathleen P. deMarrais

Committee Members

James Gehlhar, Glennon Rowell. Richard Wisniewski

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore BOE chairs' experiences with NCATE so that the level of consistency in the NCATE accreditation process could be assertained. The researcher interviewed a sample of seventeen members of the Board of Examiners, appointed and trained by NCATE, who had chaired BOE team for conducting the NCATE review. Interview questions were used as a guide, but no control was exercised in sequencing the topics of interviews. Staff at NCATE headquarters also provided additional background data.

Inductive analysis of interview transcripts produced themes within the three categories of questions asked. (1) BOE Training: Moving toward maturity, from relying on outside experts to homegrown trainers, from emphasis on theory to focus on practical skills, from lectures and question-and-answer to hands-on activities, and concerns with the screening mechanism. (2) NCATE/State Partnerships: Myriad forms of "joint visits," benefits of and concerns with joint visits, and effects of joint visits. (3) Chairing On-site Visits: The importance of the pre-visit, building relationship with the institution, building the team, building the case, and BOE team's role.

While a few themes identify areas for improvement, most of the themes found in this study support the assertion that the redesigned NCATE, especially the use of BOE teams, has resulted in a significantly high level of consistency in conducting the on-site reviews. Consistent with the tenets of symbolic interactionism, BOE members' application of the standards, especially their interpretations of the institutional data, are influenced by their individual experiences, causing potential threats to consistency. But such threats are significantly reduced by the consensus approach characteristic of the onsite visit process.

Transcript analyses suggest that the chairs who participated in this study are both strong advocates for and articulate critics of NCATE. While sharing their concerns and fixistrations with certain aspects of the process, most of them also expressed strong confidence in NCATE's future and the benefits institutions could reap from their active participation in the NCATE accreditation. A major implication fi-om this study is the need for more teacher education programs to support national accreditation for teacher education.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS