Expansion of the Field Practice Experience Scales (FPE-DK) to a Long Form to Improve Targeting to the Student Teacher Population

Abstract

Targeting measurement scales to the intended population is important to maximize the information gained. The Field Practice Experience scales (FPE-DK) measure student teachers’ opportunities to learn through the observation of other teachers, own practice, and receiving feedback on 12 key teaching activities while in field practice placements during teacher education. While the three scales have previously been shown to fit pure Rasch models, they were not well targeted to the population. The present study aimed to improve the targeting of the three scales of the FPE-DK by adding more difficult items. The study used Rasch and graphical log-linear Rasch models for item analysis of field practice experience data of 307 Danish student teachers collected with the FPE-DK-long immediately after having completed a field practice placement. The three expanded scales did not fit pure Rasch models, as had been the case in previous research. Instead, each of the three proposed long scales had to be divided into two subscales: one set of seventeen items measuring opportunities to learn through observation and own practice, respectively, receiving feedback with regard to instruction-related practices; and one set of eight items measuring opportunities to learn through observation and own practice, respectively, receiving feedback with regard to collaboration-related practices. The six subscales fitted graphical log-linear Rasch models with some locally dependent items and some items functioning differentially, and targeting was improved compared with the FPE-DK short form. The findings provided an improved measurement instrument and advanced our knowledge of differences in opportunities to learn through observation, own practice, and receiving feedback over the course of teacher education.