Experience, Age, and Subject Matter Bias of Secondary Teachers Using the American Association of School Personnel Administrator's Interactive Computer Interview System

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether age, teaching experience, and content area taught influences the score earned by secondary school teachers when using the Interactive Computer Interview System. Results indicate the correlation between the experience levels of the interviewees, age and the total scores earned on the ICIS interview was weak (r = -0.033 and -0.087). Additionally, regression analyses were performed using age of the interviewee and experience level as a predictor of score earned on the ICIS. Their r-squares were very low for both variables (< 0.007). Because the model only accounts for less than one percent (0.7%) of the unexplained variation, the usefulness in making accurate predictions of ICIS scores based on age or experience is not good. For the question of the four content area clusters (language arts and social studies, math and science, physical education and health, and fine arts) having influence on ICIS scores, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was calculated to evaluate the variance across four content scales in relationship to ICIS scores achieved by the secondary teachers. The ANOVA test result was F = 1.89. With a critical value of .05, the critical F equaled 2.82. Therefore, since the F statistic is smaller than the critical value, the null hypotheses that the scores between the four groups are the same is not rejected. The differences in scores with these group samples appears to be due to random sampling error and normal variation.