Comparison of K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Teacher Preparation Programs

The primary purpose of this study was to compare K-12 West Tennessee teachers’ perceptions of their teacher preparation programs regarding the factors of planning, engaging, and assessing student learning based on whether they attended HBCUs or PWUs. This quantitative study examined 103 certified West Tennessee elementary, middle, and high school teachers from the Jackson Tennessee Madison County School District and the Trenton Special School District. The data offered a contextualized perspective on how teachers view their teacher preparation programs at HBCUs versus PWUs and how their perceptions of these programs affected their effectiveness as teachers. Although. In the demographics section of the survey, participants self-reported their gender, age, ethnicity, the length of time teaching, the type of teacher preparation program institution attended, and the highest educational level attained. The Development National Survey of a Teachers Education Program Graduates served as the study\u27s main data source. Three research questions guided this study: Are West Tennessee teachers’ perceptions of their ability to: 1) plan, instruct and assess, 2) instruct and engage, and 3) assess student learning different when comparing teachers who completed teacher preparation programs at HBCUs and those who completed teacher preparation programs at PWUs? Among the major findings of the study, the data revealed that while there were no significant differences in the teachers’ perceptions of their teacher education programs, it should be noted that the mean response of a 2 for these survey items indicates that teachers from both HBCUs and PWUs perceived that their institutions moderately prepared them in Core Area 1,2, and 3. This research provides universities, both school districts and local, with feedback on the benefits of teacher perceptions on how best teacher preparation programs at an HBCU or PWU are preparing preservice teachers. Based on recommendations, ensure that the teacher preparation programs provide a level of professional training on planning, engaging, and assessing students based on each grade level, thus allowing the teachers to make more informed decisions about implementation and the resources being used to teach students