| The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any significant difference in the quality of university center teacher education graduates in comparison to on-campus teacher education graduates with respect to their academic performance, dispositional indicators, and perceived competence.; This study was conducted at one institution using one university center and two degree program areas. Descriptive data, performance data, and perceived competence data was collected for this study. Forty-four variables from six tools provided the performance data and twenty items from one survey were used for the perceived competence data. The descriptive data and two performance variables were analyzed using the t-test for independent samples. The remaining variables were analyzed using the chi-square test.; The first null hypothesis for this study stated that there was no significant difference in the academic performance and dispositional indicators of the university center teacher education graduates and the on-campus teacher education graduates. The second null hypothesis for this study stated that there was no significant difference in the perceived competence of the university center teacher education graduates and the on-campus teacher education graduates as measured by the Evaluation of Teacher Education Program Survey.; Based upon an analysis of the variables used in this study, conclusions were drawn that there are no significant differences between the university center teacher education graduates and on-campus teacher education graduates when comparing their academic performance, dispositional indicators, and perceived competence. The decision was made to fail to reject both null hypotheses.; There were four implications and four corresponding recommendations identified as a result of the data analysis. The implications and recommendations focused on the efficacy of the university center model used in this study, the importance of lessening the barriers of degree accessibility and affordability, the creation of a local pool of teachers, and the role of the foundations curriculum in relation to the institution that provides the foundations curriculum. The key finding in this study was that the outcomes of the two modes of delivery were comparable. |
