Creating consultee change: A theory-based approach to learning and behavioral change processes in school-based consultation.

Abstract

To improve schools, educators must develop the capacity to implement instructional and behavioral interventions that differ from those typically employed. Yet, the central problem of building educator capacity is not determining what to implement. The central issue for improving schools is rather to find ways to help educators identify, implement, adapt, and sustain effective practices. School-based consultation could provide the means to elicit and support new behaviors, competencies, and dispositions among educators. However, little attention has been directed at fundamental consultee learning and behavioral change processes that lead to different teacher behaviors and improved student outcomes. Exceptional professional learning (EPL) is a comprehensive consultation model that attends specifically to the processes and mechanisms of consultee cognitive, behavioral, and motivational change. The model is grounded in positive psychology and self-determination theory, constructivist and socioconstructivist learning theory, situated cognition, and distributed practice. It provides a coordinated framework to elicit and sustain changed cognition and behavior among consultees. The explicit theoretical grounding provides mechanisms of conceptual change; development of content, contextual, and pedagogical knowledge; and attention to motivation and sustainability. Consultation based explicitly on learning and motivational theory is advantageous because assumptions and approaches are testable, consultation strategy selection is guided by more than clinical judgment, and the model can adapt to incorporate evolving understanding of the component theories. Examples, preliminary support, and challenges for the model are provided from consultation and professional development cases.

Intellectual Humility and Morality as Consultee-Centered Consultation Epistemologies

“…Such consultants may be more open to consultee suggestions and collaborative decisions about intervention selection and implementation. Consistent with CCC theory and self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), promoting consultee choice and autonomy should enhance the consultees' intrinsic motivation to engage in conceptual and behavioral change (Truscott et al, 2012). For example, respecting consultees' intervention choices is associated with increased treatment integrity (Andersen & Daly, 2013).…”

“…As a strategy, providing consultees with many opportunities to make their own informed decisions on factors such as intervention selection and implementation could increase consultees' levels of autonomy and confidence. Throughout consultation, consultants may also acknowledge consultee effort and recognize their accomplishments, increasing their self-confidence (Truscott et al, 2012). Consultee-centered consultants may further uphold values implied by the care/harm dimension through nondirective consultation tactics such as those presented by Rogers (1957) as essential to therapy-empathetic understanding, positive regard, and congruence (Knotek & Hylander, 2014;Rogers, 1957).…”

“…Such interventions may be evidence based and demonstrated to be effective in previous situations, but this approach is not consistent with CCC. Truscott et al (2012) argued that there is a trade-off: More-prescriptive approaches tend to optimize treatment integrity, but more-collaborative approaches (e.g., CCC) tend to optimize consultees' long-term commitment and willingness to engage in future interventions.…”

Professional Development to Increase Problem-solving Skills in a Response to Intervention Framework

“…The theoretical basis for EPL is detailed elsewhere (Truscott et al 2012). As stated previously, effective PD includes five core characteristics.…”

“…Researchers negotiated with system level stakeholders to implement theory-based model of PD, Exceptional Professional Learning (Truscott et al 2012). The researchers attempted to recruit participants from each of the elementary schools located within the school district.…”