Faculty Publications

Reflecting, Coaching And Mentoring To Enhance Teacher-Child Interactions In Head Start Classrooms

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Head Start teachers, Mentoring, Peer coaching, Professional development, Teacher-child interactions

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Early Childhood Education Journal

Volume

42

Issue

2

First Page

93

Last Page

104

Abstract

In this study we examined the impact of a year long model of professional development comprised of a monthly cycle of video-based self-reflection, peer coaching, and mentoring and bimonthly workshops focused on selected Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) dimensions. Education supervisors were trained and supported by project staff to lead coaching sessions with a team of teachers. Monthly changes in the quality of teacher-child interactions as measured by CLASS were examined. The intervention group (n = 38) was significantly different than a comparison group (n = 22) at the end of the year. There were significant increases in four dimensions related to behavior management, productivity, language modeling and quality of feedback. Similar patterns of change were found for teachers with and without college degrees. Effective instructional practices can be developed and implemented by teachers when they are provided multiple opportunities to engage in sustained professional development experiences based on a valid observational measure. Implications for designing cost effective CLASS-based professional development as well as limitations of this study are discussed. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Original Publication Date

3-1-2014

DOI of published version

10.1007/s10643-013-0592-7

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