Effects of Interactive Computing Experiences on Preservice Teachers' Assessment Practices of Pupil Achievement

Abstract

This article investigated how a component of a computerized simulation (Criteria and issues related to pupil assessment) could influence the evaluative practices of early childhood preservice teachers before they encountered field experience for four weeks, and the resulting impressions of assessment subsequent to the four weeks. Chi-square, Somers' d, Gamma, Correlation, and Regression were employed with “after field experience” as the dependent variable. Statistically significant differences were revealed: Somers' d (d = .481, p < .002); Gamma (.654, p < .002); Pearson's R (.607, p < .003); Spearman (.559, p < .007); and regression analysis (b = .520, p < .003). Also, the regression model explains 36.9% of overall variation in the dependent variable (R² = .369). This study illustrates that interactive contact with a pupil assessment component of a computerized simulation can improve preservice teacher's perceptions and choice of pupil assessments during four weeks of field experience. Qualitative analysis also revealed emergent themes related to subjects' response and extended narratives for each theme.