Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of the study was to develop and field test an assessment model that would assist in determining the effectiveness of the training in instructional techniques at the Professional Development and Program Improvement Centers in California. The assessment model was designed to measure the level of application for five instructional techniques taught at the Centers: teaching to an objective, correct level of difficulty, monitoring and adjusting, reinforcement, and motivation. Procedure. The directors of eleven of the seventeen Centers and 145 teachers were involved in the study. The assessment model consisted of pre-observation of the teachers in selected instructional techniques, training of teachers in those techniques, and finally each teacher being observed by the same person again. Observation data were collected using an instrument developed especially for this model. Interobserver reliability was established by having eight of the twenty-three observers view the videotaped lessons of four teachers. Each observer indicated on the observation instrument the level of use for each of the five instructional techniques by each teacher. The analysis of the data showed a variance within acceptable limits among the observers on the five instructional techniques. The t test for difference in a matched group and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient test for correlation were used to analyze the observation data. The directors of the eleven Centers that field tested that model participated in the evaluation of the model using a questionnaire developed for this purpose. Findings. The major findings of this study were that the assessment model was a viable approach for determining the effectiveness of the Centers and that there was a significant change in behavior of teachers in the instructional techniques after participating in the training at the Centers. Conclusions and Recommendations. The assessment model provides a useful procedure for determining the effectiveness of the Professional Development and Program Improvement Centers in California. Therefore, it is recommended that an assessment model utilizing pre and post observations be applied to any statewide staff development program such as the new Teacher Education and Computer Centers.