Project Activities
Researchers used a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the efficacy of Prime Online. Thirty-two fourth grade teachers across three cohorts were randomly assigned to either the Prime Online intervention group or the business-as-usual control group. Intervention teachers in each cohort received the PD for eight months with short breaks that aligned with the typical school schedule. Researchers collected data on outcome variables prior to the start of Prime Online PD and after the intervention to determine whether Prime Online leads to improvements in teacher and student outcomes. Researchers also examined key variables that moderated intervention effects of Prime Online.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research took place in elementary schools across Florida and Mississippi.
Sample
Thirty-two fourth grade teachers with general and/or special education certification who taught general education, grade-level, mathematics curricula to students with and without disabilities participated in the study. In addition, 1,116 students with and without disabilities participated.
Prime Online is an 8-month (May through December), fully online PD intervention composed of 28 learning modules. Learning modules are designed to build teachers' (a) content knowledge for teaching mathematics, (b) understanding of the learning needs of students with disabilities and other struggling mathematics learners, and (c) knowledge of and skill in using mathematics evidence-based practices and progress monitoring tools. The PD modules are organized into two segments, one during the summer months, titled Building the Foundation for Inclusive Elementary Mathematics Classrooms, and one during the fall months, titled Inquiring into Inclusive Elementary Mathematics Classrooms. Each module includes a consistent format with four components: Introduction, Anticipatory Activity, Content for Discussion, and Classroom Connections. Teachers completed the 28 modules sequentially, with the first 12 modules completed in the summer prior to the beginning of the school year.
Research design and methods
The researchers used a randomized controlled trial to study the efficacy of Prime Online. They randomly assigned 32 teachers (across three cohorts) to either the Prime Online PD treatment or business-as-usual control group. Researchers collected data to understand the impact of the PD on teachers’ beliefs about students with disabilities, classroom teaching practices, content knowledge for teaching mathematics, teaching self-efficacy, and classroom instruction. Researchers also collected data to understand the impact of Prime Online on students' mathematics achievement and to test moderators of intervention impacts.
Control condition
Teachers in the business-as-usual control group received typical PD offered by their school districts. After completion of the study, control group teachers had access to Prime Online, including all materials.
Key measures
Researchers assessed teacher outcomes using the following measures: Two Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics measures, the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, the Mathematical Quality of Instruction (to assess videos of instruction), and researcher-created measures to assess beliefs and practices. Student mathematics skill was assessed using the Test for Understanding Fractions (TUF).
Data analytic strategy
The researchers used analyses of covariance to examine the impact of the PD on teacher and student outcomes, and they used structural equation modeling to examine moderators.
Cost analysis strategy
A cost analysis was used to estimate that Prime Online will cost $122.95 per teacher for a book about teacher research and assessments for progress monitoring. Researchers estimate $0 - $750 in additional costs per teacher for teacher participation incentives, program facilitator support, and online program maintenance
Key outcomes
The principal investigator reports the main findings of this project as follows:
Treatment teachers had statistically significantly higher teaching self-efficacy scores than control teachers (Personal Mathematics Teaching Self-efficacy subscale, ES=1.33). Additionally, teachers’ pre-test scores on a measure of the belief that good mathematics teaching can lead to better student outcomes (Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy) moderated the effect of the Prime Online treatment on students’ fraction understanding (Test of Fractions, B = -0.83, p = 0.003).
- Ratings of video recordings showed that all teachers’ content knowledge for teaching math and mathematical quality of classroom teaching were low at both pretest and posttest. In addition, the Prime Online modules that focused on conceptual understanding of multiplication and division, and arithmetic with fractions and decimals, were generally the most challenging for teachers.
- Researchers developed a Facilitator Guide that facilitators (or implementors) of the Prime Online PD can use to support teachers through all 28 online modules. The guide provides detailed directions for delivering the program, examples of feedback provided to teachers for each module, appendices with helpful materials, and more. The guide may be useful to schools, districts, and researchers.
- The project produced a collaboration with the College of Education and Distance Education Office personnel to maintain Prime Online and make it available to the public.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Project website:
Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Available data:
A dataset will be available at: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/ufirg.
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