Effects of presentation modality on teachers' data interpretation accuracy and perceptions of intervention and consultant effectiveness

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: Identifying variables that impact teachers' understanding of student progress and perceptions of effectiveness have significant implications for improving service delivery. The present study investigated the impact of three presentation modalities (table, static graph, and dynamic graph) and data trend (upward and zero) on teachers' data interpretation accuracy and ratings of intervention and consultant effectiveness. Participants included 141 authentic teachers. A between-groups, 3x2 factorial design that utilized video vignettes of progress monitoring consultation sessions were used.

Findings and Conclusions: Results of this study indicate that presentation modality can significantly impact teachers' understanding of intervention data, as well as their perceptions of consultant effectiveness. Specifically, results from this study suggest that progress monitoring allow teachers to make more accurate judgments about student growth and more precise predictions about goal attainment. Results also suggest that presenting graphs can lead to higher ratings of consultant effectiveness. Statistically significant differences between the dynamic and static conditions were not identified. In addition, presentation mode did not have a significant effect on ratings of intervention effectiveness. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.