Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Joan B. Murry
Committee Member
Thomas J. Thompson
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
administrative direction, age eight, applied portfolio process, assignments, committee review, conference presentations, coursework, design aspects, dissemination, Early Childhood Education, e-portfolios, evaluation criteria, evaluation methodologies, formative review, implementation, implementation issues, implications, inservice workshops, journals, literature review, national level, newsletters, portfolio, professional development, projects, research, research questions, standards, state level, student reflections, student teachers, student teaching, summative review, Santa Barbara City College, teacher education, teacher training practices, technology, young children
Abstract
The Early Childhood Education Department at Santa Barbara City College has the mission of offering coursework and applied student teaching opportunities to those interested in working with young children, birth through age eight. Based on current teacher training practices and an administrative direction, the Early Childhood Education Department has made the decision to implement a portfolio process. However, there is no existing model on campus or any expertise in the Early Childhood Education Department. As a result, the Early Childhood Education Department is faced with a problem.
Research questions focused on identifying the appropriate standards and type of portfolio as well as the design aspects, assignments and projects, and student reflections in an applied portfolio process. Additional research questions focused on implementation issues and evaluation criteria for the applied portfolio process.
Development and evaluation methodologies were used in addressing the identified problem and research questions. Procedures included a review of the literature, formative and summative committee review, and identifying implications for future educational practice and research.
Based on the literature and collected data, a comprehensive portfolio process for beginning Early Childhood Education student teachers was developed and recommended for implementation. Additional recommendations included researching the use of technology in designing e-portfolios and conducting follow-up research to assess how student teachers use their portfolios.
It was recommended the results of this research study be disseminated on a local, state, and national level through a variety of professional newsletters and journals and inservice workshops and conference presentations.