First impressions: Understanding the role of teacher buy-in to the success of program implementation

• In Event: Implementation Research in Early Care and Education: Proximal and Distal Factors Influencing Curricula Implementation

Abstract

The role of teacher enthusiasm and buy-in to program success is understudied in implementation research but has received growing interest in recent years (Briggs et al., 2018; Pinkelman et al., 2015). In early childhood education, providers continuously seek programs and professional development (PD) that will improve quality and support children’s school readiness (Hamre et al., 2010; NCECDTL Curriculum Consumer Report, undated). But teachers’ fidelity of implementation – or “uptake” – of new programs has a strong influence on whether or not programs meet designers’ goals (Durlak, 2010). Teachers who implement most or all program components with a high degree of quality may have better program outcomes than teachers who do not (Fixsen et al., 2005). Strong early buy-in may lead teachers to implement programs with higher fidelity.

STREAMin3 is a comprehensive early childhood curriculum and PD program that aims to support children’s readiness for school (Williford & Matthew, 2018). It includes a full set of books and activities for pre-k, toddler, and infant age levels, along with classroom routines and strategies to foster self-regulation and social skills. STREAMin3 teachers meet with a coach every two weeks and attend monthly group professional development sessions.

The costs of implementing a program like STREAMin3 are significant, so it is vital to understand what factors may influence successful implementation. Teacher buy-in may influence how teachers enact programs (Lee & Min, 2017) and, ultimately, the extent to which teachers and children benefit from them. The current study examined how teachers’ initial buy-in to STREAMin3 was associated with their implementation and perceived outcomes.

Method. Participants included 160 pre-k teachers (46% teaching in private centers, 54% in public programs) who enrolled in the STREAMin3 pilot evaluation during one of two intake periods (Spring 2019 or Fall 2019). Buy-in to STREAMin3 was evaluated in the early weeks of each teachers’ participation using a widely-used and well-validated satisfaction item (“would you recommend STREAMin3 to a colleague?” rated on a 0 to 10 scale; e.g., Palmer & Devers, 2018). Implementation was measured in terms of the number of coaching sessions each teacher attended, coach ratings of teachers’ engagement during coaching sessions, and the proportion of curricular components teachers reported implementing with children. Program outcomes were assessed using retrospective pre-post assessments (Geldhof et al., 2018) completed by teachers and coaches.

Results and discussion. In regression analyses controlling for teacher demographics and length of participation in STREAMin3, buy-in was significantly and positively associated with implementation of more curricular components and coach ratings of teacher engagement but not with number of coaching sessions attended (Table 1). Buy-in was positively associated with teacher and coach appraisals of teachers’ improvements over the evaluation period (Table 2). Additional analyses will examine teacher factors associated with buy-in. These initial results suggest that it is important to consider teacher buy-in as a key predictor of program implementation. Further work to determine whether buy-in is malleable and how coaches or leaders can increase buy-in may lead to higher-quality program implementation and school readiness outcomes.

Authors

• Virginia Vitiello, University of Virginia - Charlottesville
  Presenting Author

• Amanda P Williford, University of Virginia - Charlottesville
  Non-Presenting Author

• Erin Vines, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lily Hummer, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author