| National and state standards require teachers to demonstrate their teaching ability through performance-based assessments. The electronic portfolio is one assessment tool that is being adopted by states and colleges for this purpose. In these documents, novice teachers need to convince assessors of their professional credibility as they demonstrate their effectiveness as teachers. The research study being reported investigated how novice teachers' perceptions of professional credibility were depicted in electronic portfolios for licensure textually, visually, and through the use of technological skills. A secondary purpose of the study was to elicit novice teachers' views on the feasibility of electronic portfolios for licensure.;A qualitative research design was adopted, using a grounded theory approach. Seven second-year teachers who had completed a Teacher Work Sample for a state licensure project were recruited to convert the Work Samples to electronic portfolios. They also wrote reflective essays on the process, and they were interviewed to determine their beliefs about professional credibility and their views on the electronic portfolio process for licensure. The interviews, the electronic portfolios and the reflective essays were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding.;The findings indicated that the novice teachers all believed that describing their activities in five main thematic areas conveyed their professional credibility. These areas were: recognizing and making adaptations for diversity among learners; exhibiting pedagogical competence; establishing good relationships with students, parents, and other teachers; involvement in professional and extra-curricular activities; and practicing and encouraging universally accepted moral principles. These views were common among the participants who were widely diverse in background. The views also mirrored the standards in the performance assessment instrument. In addition, several recognized characteristics of teacher credibility, which were not required in the performance assessment, were noticeably absent from any of the data. A tentative conclusion was drawn that novice teachers' values might be shaped by the performance assessment or electronic portfolio process. The teachers reported that they enjoyed the process, experienced technological growth and considered the electronic portfolio feasible for licensure. |
