Relationship between teacher orientation and consultation terminology, intervention acceptability, evaluation of effectiveness, and willingness to implement
Abstract
Scope and Method of Study: The current study was designed to expand on previous research examining the effect of terminology on ratings of intervention acceptability and to investigate the effects of terminology on judgments of outcome data and willingness to implement. Secondarily, this study explored teacher beliefs and instructional style. The sample for this study included 75 elementary (pre-K through 6th) teachers from six school districts in central Iowa (64 women, 11 men, Mage = 42.8 years, SD = 11.8). Vignettes varied on terminology and successfulness of graphical outcome data. Teachers rated acceptability on the Intervention Rating Profile (IRP) and answered dichotomous yes/no questions to evaluate intervention successfulness and indicate willingness to learn more about implementation. Findings and Conclusions: The main effect of outcome data was significant, F (1, 75) = 14.07, p < .001, np2 = .165. Teachers who reported using a Direct Instruction teaching style rated the intervention as more acceptable than those who indicated a constructivist/direct instruction combination teaching style. There was a significant difference between the two groups; t (65) = 2.055, p = .044. The variables of judgment of outcome data and willingness to implement were excluded from the analysis due to a lack of variance in the responses. Manipulation of terminology does not impact intervention acceptability. The findings seem promising in light of the accepted and longstanding use of behavioral terminology by consultants, though they cannot be generalized to the population of elementary teachers as a whole. Thus, awareness and education focused on research-based instructional practices may still be needed for many teachers. Consultants should be cognizant of the multiple factors influencing intervention acceptability and thus, school-based services for children. In particular, consultants need to understand how communication of an intervention can impact the likelihood of acceptability and implementation.
Collections
- OSU Dissertations [11222]