The Effect of an Analytic Trait, Task-Specific Rubric on Self-efficacy and Academic Achievement
Open Access
- Author:
- McGriff, Steven James
- Graduate Program:
- Instructional Systems
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- December 07, 2006
- Committee Members:
- Peggy Noel Van Meter, Committee Member
Barbara L Grabowski, Committee Member
Francis M Dwyer Jr., Committee Member
Kyle Leonard Peck, Committee Chair/Co-Chair - Keywords:
- academic achievement
instructional technology
self-efficacy
rubric - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT The purpose of this quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group study was to investigate the effect of three strategies for implementation of an analytic trait, task-specific rubric—no rubric, rubric given without explanation, and rubric given with explanation—on teacher credential candidates’ self-efficacy for and achievement in writing a lesson plan. Research Questions 1. Do the three strategies for analytic trait, task-specific rubric use lead to differences in the means for posttask self-efficacy for writing a lesson plan? 2. Do the three strategies for analytic trait, task-specific rubric use lead to differences in the quality of lesson plans written by subjects in the three treatment groups? Methods The study was implemented in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 at a large, west coast, public university with 114 volunteer participants recruited from introductory courses for 5th year, teacher credential candidates in which lesson plan writing was first introduced. Nine intact classes taught by seven different faculty instructors were assigned to one control and two treatment groups, based largely on requirements expressed by the instructors. In each of the courses, the course instructor using two unpublished instruments collected data: self-efficacy for writing a lesson plan (pretask and posttask) and a posttask survey of participant perception. The lesson plan assignments were collected and scored by two independent raters in a blind-review process using the rubric that had been provided to students. Results The findings indicate participants had an overall high level of self-efficacy for writing a lesson plan, even before the introduction of the rubric. Using a reliability-corrected ANCOVA model significant differences were found for posttask self-efficacy, favoring the control group. No significant differences were found on achievement for writing a lesson plan. Participants’ perceptions of rubric use, as reported on the posttask survey, indicated agreement with the perception that the rubric provided explanations for how to do the lesson plan, helped understanding of the requirements, helped establish goals, and helped with self-evaluation. Limitations. The reading of this study should be done with an understanding of the study's limitations with respect to recruitment of participants, assignment of treatments, adherence to procedures, equivalence of raters, instrumentation, characteristics of participants, and the nature of the task. This study was conducted in a naturalistic educational context in which the participants and their instructors interacted with one another and the study materials in a manner that was influenced significantly by instructors' philosophies of education, views on the design and use of rubrics, and beliefs concerning the characteristics of a high-quality lesson plan. Generalization of these research findings should be done with caution. Implications Although this research study did not offer significant support for the claims that rubrics can promote self-efficacy or student achievement, more research is needed in controlled settings. The effective implementation of a rubric use strategy in this study was hindered by the limitations of the study and as a result, seems to have exposed a set of conditions under which rubric use may interfere with learner self-efficacy. As a result, it is recommended that instructors ensure congruence of the course grading policy with the use of the rubric. If a rubric is used as part of an instructional strategy, a period of time should be given to learners for practicing how to use the rubric to increase performance on the task. Recommendations for future research are discussed.