Teaching Exams: HSI Candidates’ Use of an Adaptive Online Test Preparation Program

Abstract

ABSTRACT Supporters of teaching exams say they create better outcomes, but teacher shortages, equity issues, and validity and reliability problems indicate more research is warranted. This quantitative study investigated how an adaptive online test preparation program influenced TExES EC-6 exam performance for teacher candidates at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The framework was based on self-efficacy and critical pedagogy, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare performance. The institution where the study was performed includes a student population that is 93% Hispanic and 52.27% first-generation. The study began with 324 candidates’ but was eventually narrowed to 77 participants. The program was most effective for those using it for 10–19 hours, while those with baseline scores below 60% benefitted the most. Implications include providing instructional sessions about the program, asking students who have passed to serve as mentors, and researching the long-term retention of content knowledge.