A study of the transfer effects of staff development with Essential Elements of Instruction training

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Essential Elements of Instruction model as presented in a training to staff members of a urban school district in Western New York.; This study consists of 31 elementary school bilingual teachers who taught either in Spanish or English (as a Second Language). The subjects were selected from four bilingual schools. From responses to the first part of the questionnaire participating teachers were divided into three groups: the advanced trained group with nine subjects, the basic trained group with 11 subjects, and the non-trained group with ten subjects.; The first research question addressed participants knowledge of Essential Elements of Instruction. The study indicates differences among groups were nonsignificant. None of the groups could be said to have mastered the concepts taught in the Essential Elements of Instruction.; The results of the study showed a difference in knowledge and comprehension, though not significant, between the trained and non-trained groups. The results of variation in the type of training, advanced versus basic, showed little difference. The advanced trained group scored better on a fourteen item multiple choice test though not significantly better. Additionally, neither trained group scored well on the test, each missing at least half of the fourteen questions.; The second research question requested lesson plans from the participating subjects. Lesson plans were rated to determine differences between groups in the application of concepts and principles of Essential Elements of Instruction to the pre-teaching and lesson plan planning stage. Twenty-seven of 31 teachers submitted lesson plans.; The results of the rated lesson plans showed an association between various forms of training in the Essential Elements of Instruction model, and application of concepts within the model to classroom lesson plans. No difference was found between the trained groups and the non-trained group. The difference existed between the advance and the basic group.; Research question three used video taped lessons that the teachers taught with their corresponding lesson plan to determine if there was a relationship between application of Essential Elements and the three different groups. Three subjects who rated high, medium, and low from each category were selected to be observed so that there would be a range of lesson plan scores in each category. These lessons were rated using a rubric scale with descriptors which reflected how well teachers applied the concepts and principles of Essential Elements of Instruction.; The results of the rated video taped lessons and corresponding lesson plans displayed an association between the videos and the lessons and the various forms of training in Essential Elements of Instruction. The advanced trained group had consistently higher rated scores, though not significantly higher, on the video taped lessons and the corresponding lesson plans.; The teachers in the advanced trained group had experienced some form of follow up. The advanced trained group, whose members consistently were rated higher on the video taped lessons, and corresponding lessons. This indicates there was an association between those teachers who participated in follow up sessions and the transfer of information presented at the initial training. Even though teachers may not have learned the content well, the follow up assisted them in re-learning or improving upon what was initially learned. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...