How Much for Whom? Lessons From an Efficacy Study of Modest Professional Development for Child Care Providers

Online child care training in the United States: a preliminary investigation of who participates, what is offered, and on which topics the workforce is focusing

“…In this case, a single workshop may not be adequate, especially if teachers have minimal prior levels of knowledge about, or experience with, the focus of the training (Manning and Avery 2007;Moreno et al 2015;Zaslow 2014). And, if the aim of training is to improve early childhood pedagogical practices as a means for also enhancing the level of teachers' interactions with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and/or young children's learning outcomes, greater amounts of intensive training and/or training plus coaching may be necessary (Campbell and Milbourne 2005;Early et al 2017;Fabiano et al 2013;Gerde et al 2014;Hamre et al 2012;Koh and Neuman 2009;Neuman and Cunningham 2009;Ota and Berghout Austin 2013;Pianta 2011;Pianta et al 2014;Piasta et al 2012;Yamauchi et al 2013). Winton et al (2016) argue that a third important factor to consider when designing training is the way in which it will be delivered, especially in light of the needs of the individual receiving it and the content of what is being learned.…”

“…In this case, research suggests that single, 1-or 2-h beginner-level workshops are not adequate for teachers with minimal prior levels of knowledge about, or experience with, the focus of the training (Manning and Avery 2007;Moreno et al 2015;Zaslow 2014). In fact, if the aim is to support the type of teacher-child interactions which are necessary for enhancing young children's early learning outcomes, additional research demonstrates that effective training requires intensive, sequential learning opportunities, as well as ongoing support and feedback (Early et al 2017;Fabiano et al 2013;Gerde et al 2014;Hamre et al 2012;Ota and Berghout Austin 2013;Pianta 2011;Pianta et al 2014;Piasta et al 2012;Yamauchi et al 2013). In light of this research base, beginner-level online training appears to be less likely to support the aim of state and federal process quality-focused policies.…”

An Analytic Study of the Professional Development Research in Early Childhood Education

“…Although the researchers in the studies examined here used a variety of means to evaluate PD, many of them, specifically the reporting of fidelity and environmental measures, do not provide complete pictures of the impact of PD. Only half of the studies reported outcomes related to teacher practice and children's learning, key indicators of PD efficacy (Gerde, Duke, Moses, Spybrook, & Shedd, 2014). If the goal of PD is to alter something about the teacher's instruction, then it seems necessary that actual changes in practice be measured.…”

The Effectiveness of Coursework and Onsite Coaching at Improving the Quality of Care in Infant–Toddler Settings

“…We agree with the statements of Gerde, Duke, Moses, Spybrook, and Shedd (2014), who found teacher but not child outcomes for a group-based 10-hr-long program and therefore suggested caution in overinterpreting results of professional development interventions that measure outcomes at the provider level only. However, we also note that the effective intervention studied presently exceeds minimum threshold recommendations for child outcomes in terms of both dosage (Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, & Shapley, 2007) and the inclusion of coaching (Gerde et al, 2014). We also caution that the issue of exactly which child outcomes researchers should be targeting in ordinary child care settings is still an open question.…”