Technology Proficiency Self-Evaluation: What are They Reporting?
Abstract: This paper will describe the outcomes of a study designed to explore teacher candidates perceived technology proficiency after a required technology education course. Three semesters of data were collected with one semester using a retrospective pre-post and two semesters using traditional pre-post assessments. The intent was to first determine if teacher candidates were gaining sufficient levels of proficiency to support future use in the classroom and second to explore potential inflation of initially reported proficiencies among this population. If teacher education programs are to ensure teachers candidates are proficient in technology use it is essential there are valid and reliable assessments in place. The findings from this study will provide insights into evaluation processes that will offer evidence of teacher candidate proficiency in technology.