Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Susan A. Torbenson

Committee Member

Marian Gibney

Committee Member

Ronald Chenail

Keywords

career choice, classroom experience, educational program, focus groups, high school teachers, lesson planning, mixed-methods evaluation, North Carolina, observations of teachers, portfolio development, program effectiveness, program evaluation, student perceptions, Teacher Cadet Program, teacher education, teacher education programs, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, teacher shortage, teaching career pathways, university students

Abstract

The problem addressed by this study was that it was unknown if the current Teacher Cadet Program was effective in achieving the outcome of influencing students to pursue an education major and become a professional teacher in the North Carolina school system. Understanding the degree to which the program was effective would affect future funding of the program. South Carolina originally established the Teacher Cadet Program because of the shortage of teachers and instructors in the state. Five research questions guided this mixed-methods evaluation:

1. What are the criteria to be used to determine the effectiveness of the Teacher Cadet Program in meeting program goals?

2. How do students perceive the effectiveness of the Teacher Cadet Program when completing university course work in the field of education?

3. How do students rate the level of the influence that the Teacher Cadet Program and its components had on them and on their educational career path decisions?

4. What experiences influenced student decisions to remain in the teacher education program in college?

5. What recommendations can be made to modify or improve the Teacher Cadet Program?

Data were collected from 92 surveys of students at 2 North Carolina universities and a much smaller focus group at 1 university. The Teacher Cadet Program was perceived by students to have a positive impact on their teaching career paths. The program was influential in 8 of 11 factors of influence, including child-development issues, lesson planning, observations of teachers, classroom experience, and portfolio generation. Students deemed the practical experience derived from the Teacher Cadet Program as the most beneficial to their future career choice. Recommendations include using teacher cadets for recruitment and retention and recruiting minority participants to the program.

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