Title

Analyzing the Pedagogical Beliefs and Practices of Texas Teachers to Determine if They Subscribe to a Constructivist Paradigm

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Educational Administration

Date of Award

Spring 2017

Abstract

Current reforms, such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers and the Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grants, call for states and school districts to revamp their teacher evaluation instruments. After Texas received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education from certain provisions of NCLB, the state developed, adopted, and piloted the Texas Evaluation and Support System, T-TESS, as the approved teacher evaluation instrument for the state. One of the appraisal models used in the 2-year pilot program was Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FFT). Danielson notes on her website that the FFT framework is grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching. The constructivist theory of teaching and learning and the Tenets of Constructivism© are reflected throughout the T-TESS evaluation rubric.

Advisor

Deborah Goodwin

Subject Categories

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision

COinS