Date of Award

Fall 1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership

First Advisor

Carolyn Talton

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to examine the evaluation of portfolios as an alternative assessment tool along with those factors which influence the implementation practices of portfolios by faculty in colleges of education. The specific goals of this study were to determine the relationship between college and university professors' knowledge of portfolio assessment and their attitudes toward using portfolios as an alternative to traditional assessment practices, as well as college and university professors' knowledge of portfolio assessment and use of portfolios in the courses that they teach, and professors' attitudes and use of portfolios. Other areas of investigation included professors, attitudes toward using portfolios and use of portfolios in their courses, gender and knowledge of portfolios, gender and attitude toward portfolio assessment, years of teaching experience and knowledge of portfolios, and years of experience and attitudes toward portfolio assessment. Data for this study were collected by e-mailing and mailing a questionnaire and demographic data form concerning portfolio assessment to all Louisiana professors involved in undergraduate teacher education courses in both public and private colleges and universities (N = 342).

Analysis of the 98 responses utilizing Pearson Product-Moment correlation revealed a significant relationship between the professors' knowledge of portfolio assessment and their attitudes toward using portfolios as an alternative to traditional assessment. In addition, a significant relationship was found using a Triserial correlation between professors, portfolio knowledge and the use of portfolios in the courses that they teach. A Triserial correlation also found that there was no significant relationship between professors' attitudes toward portfolio assessment and their use of portfolios in the courses that they teach. An analysis using t tests revealed that a significant difference between gender and portfolio knowledge and gender and attitudes toward portfolio assessment does exist. A significant difference between years of experience and portfolio knowledge and between years of experience and attitudes toward portfolio assessment was not revealed using t tests.

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