Teacher Response to Professional Learning: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Study of a Javits Project

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent SIG Roundtable: Professional Learning and Talent Development (Table 14)

Abstract

Evaluation studies of school interventions for advanced education are a critical part of improving services in gifted education. A mixed methods evaluation study of professional learning provided to 54 teachers as one component of a Javits project, STEM+C2, was undertaken to examine the efficacy of and teachers’ response to their professional learning experiences within the context of COVID-19 school closures. Results indicated that teachers were enthusiastic about the opportunity to “try out” curriculum units with small groups `of educators firsthand prior to implementing them in their classrooms with students. Teachers made gains in biography knowledge and understanding of gifted education principles, a measure related to universal screening and local norms in gifted programs, but did not increase their STEM achievement.

Authors

• Ann E. Robinson, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Monica Meadows, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Jill L. Adelson, Adelson Research & Consulting, LLC

• Keila Moreno Navarrete, University of Arkansas at Little Rock