Measuring Teachers' Algebraic Reasoning: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Video Assessment Task

Abstract

As members of the STAAR (Supporting the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebraic Thinking) IERI research team, we designed and empirically tested measures of middle school mathematics teachers' knowledge and skill in areas that have been identified by research, and established by standards, as key aspects of teaching that impact student learning. We begin by reviewing literature related to our theoretical framework. Next we describe the assessment items completed by teachers participating in the research project, describe the development process of the research team's scoring rubric, and report results from principal component analyses of responses. We found preliminary evidence that the assessment does measure important facets of pedagogical content knowledge and teachers' reflection-in-action when they are engaged in the authentic task of evaluating student performance on a mathematical task.