An evaluation of the effect of inservice training and collaborative consultation on classroom teachers' ability to accommodate children with behavioral challenges in the regular education classroom.

摘要

Most educators agree that children who exhibit challenging behaviors pose significant barriers to their inclusion in regular education classrooms. Compared to children with other disabling conditions, children who exhibit challenging behaviors are thought to require provision of the most intensive level of support to the classroom teacher. Unfortunately, teachers and related service personnel believe they are least adequately trained to deal with the challenges these children pose. For inclusion to be effective, education professionals need specialized knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to children's challenging behaviors. Research and educational practice efforts should target the examination of teachers' knowledge and skill development in the area of accommodating children with challenging behaviors.; The present study examined the impact of three professional development training formats (i.e., inservice training only, collaborative consultation only, and a combination of inservice training and collaborative consultation) on teacher outcomes related to (a) knowledge of terminology regarding accommodating children with challenging behaviors, (b) beliefs about accommodating children with challenging behaviors, (c) decision-making skills regarding challenging behaviors, and (d) teacher satisfaction with training.; Study participants included 25 elementary school classroom teachers who were selected on a volunteer basis from 9 elementary school sites. Teachers and school sites were assigned to three cohort groups (i.e., inservice training only, collaborative consultation only, combination of inservice training and collaborative consultation). Each cohort was comprised of the 7–9 teachers working within 3 schools. Each cohort received a different level of training and consultation support for approximately 16 weeks. Inservice training was provided by university professors and doctoral level school psychology graduate students. Collaborative consultation support was provided by masters level graduate students in the fields of school psychology, counseling, and education.; Results indicated that teacher knowledge of terminology increased over the training period. In addition, teacher beliefs about accommodating children with challenging behaviors in the classroom became more positive as a result of participation in a training program. However, type of training format did not appear to impact teacher knowledge, beliefs, decision-making skills, or satisfaction. The study concludes with recommendations for future teacher training.