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Increasing Learn Units by special education teachers: Supervision via bug-in-ear technology

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Date Issued:
2005
Summary:
Preparing teachers for diverse populations in the 21st century is a daunting task that must be addressed systematically. Because society requires strict accountability measures (Danielson, 1996; NCLB, 2002), educators must ensure that students achieve at high levels. Teacher education literature increasingly addresses the need for standards and accountability (Hardeman, McDonald, & Welch, 1998) and stresses the importance of well-researched, teacher preparation methods. While teacher education institutions face the challenges of preparing a greater quantity and higher quality of teachers, a teacher shortage continues to exist (SREB, 2001). Several researchers have focused on efficient and effective means of preparing teachers who can reach these higher standards and remain in the teaching profession. Coaching is a positive means of providing support to teachers while improving teachers' instructional effectiveness (Fieman-Nemser, 2001). Sheeler, McAfee, and Ruhl (2004) determined that teachers' instruction improved when a coach provided specific, immediate, corrective feedback. Giebelhaus (1994), Lindell (2001), and Scheeler and Lee (2002) demonstrated that "bug-in-ear" (BIE) technology permitted coaches to provide immediate, corrective feedback without interrupting instruction. The present study was designed to examine the effects of using BIE technology on novice teachers' rate and accuracy of Learn Unit delivery and to determine if improved rates continued when prompts were removed. Learn Units are a definable measure of teaching, and the smallest unit through which the act of teaching can be presented (Greer, 2002). In this study, using BIE technology the coach delivered immediate, corrective feedback to three teachers regarding delivery of Learn Units. A multiple-baseline design across teachers was used. Data were collected during baseline, intervention, fading, and maintenance phases. The independent variable was the prompts delivered by the coach, and the dependent variables were the rate and accuracy of Learn Units. The results showed that novice teachers did increase both their rate and accuracy of Learn Unit delivery during the intervention and these increases remained when prompts were faded or removed. This study extended Scheeler and Lee's (2002) research on Learn Units and immediate feedback through BIE technology, and demonstrated the efficacy of this coaching method with various individuals, groups of students, and instructional formats.
Title: Increasing Learn Units by special education teachers: Supervision via bug-in-ear technology.
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Name(s): Goodman, Janet I.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Brady, Michael P., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2005
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 104 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Preparing teachers for diverse populations in the 21st century is a daunting task that must be addressed systematically. Because society requires strict accountability measures (Danielson, 1996; NCLB, 2002), educators must ensure that students achieve at high levels. Teacher education literature increasingly addresses the need for standards and accountability (Hardeman, McDonald, & Welch, 1998) and stresses the importance of well-researched, teacher preparation methods. While teacher education institutions face the challenges of preparing a greater quantity and higher quality of teachers, a teacher shortage continues to exist (SREB, 2001). Several researchers have focused on efficient and effective means of preparing teachers who can reach these higher standards and remain in the teaching profession. Coaching is a positive means of providing support to teachers while improving teachers' instructional effectiveness (Fieman-Nemser, 2001). Sheeler, McAfee, and Ruhl (2004) determined that teachers' instruction improved when a coach provided specific, immediate, corrective feedback. Giebelhaus (1994), Lindell (2001), and Scheeler and Lee (2002) demonstrated that "bug-in-ear" (BIE) technology permitted coaches to provide immediate, corrective feedback without interrupting instruction. The present study was designed to examine the effects of using BIE technology on novice teachers' rate and accuracy of Learn Unit delivery and to determine if improved rates continued when prompts were removed. Learn Units are a definable measure of teaching, and the smallest unit through which the act of teaching can be presented (Greer, 2002). In this study, using BIE technology the coach delivered immediate, corrective feedback to three teachers regarding delivery of Learn Units. A multiple-baseline design across teachers was used. Data were collected during baseline, intervention, fading, and maintenance phases. The independent variable was the prompts delivered by the coach, and the dependent variables were the rate and accuracy of Learn Units. The results showed that novice teachers did increase both their rate and accuracy of Learn Unit delivery during the intervention and these increases remained when prompts were faded or removed. This study extended Scheeler and Lee's (2002) research on Learn Units and immediate feedback through BIE technology, and demonstrated the efficacy of this coaching method with various individuals, groups of students, and instructional formats.
Identifier: 9780496965939 (isbn), 12131 (digitool), FADT12131 (IID), fau:12593 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Education
Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2005.
Subject(s): Special education teachers--Training of
Classroom management
Teacher effectiveness--United States
School supervision--United States
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12131
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.