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Teacher/Faculty Interviews

Instrument 1: Teacher Interview Protocol and Target Schools Supplement

Project: Delaware Challenge Grant Project
Capital School District

Funding Source: U.S. Dept. Ed.: Technology Innovation Challenge Grants (Ofc. Educational Research & Improvement)

Purpose: To solicit the teacher's judgments on project success, project benefits, challenges to success, and levels of commitment from other teachers, parents, and stakeholders, plus advice on implementation; the supplement inquires about length of involvement, success meeting goals, how student use of software is managed, feedback from students and parents, and solicits judgments about the technology's worth and ease and appropriateness of use

Administered To: Teachers

Topics Covered:

  • Attitudes & Beliefs (Teacher/Faculty): project impact, project support
  • Implementation Characteristics: fidelity to project
  • Limitations & Barriers: implementation
  • Perceptions (Teacher/Faculty): parent attitudes, student attitudes
  • Plans & Expectations (Teacher/Faculty): continue reform practice
  • Project Evaluation: content, effectiveness, impact, importance, rigor, satisfaction
  • Background Characteristics & Activities (Teacher/Faculty): project involvement

Format/Length: 14 open-ended questions, 7 in the protocol and 7 in the supplement

SPRING EVALUATION -- TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

  1. With which aspects of this project do you feel that your school has had particularly good success?
    PROBE: What have you found that has worked really well for your school?
  2. What were the challenges that your school has faced while implementing the Challenge Grant project?
    PROBE: Which of there were you able to successfully resolve?
       
      How did your school resolve these challenges?
       
      Which ones weren't you able to successfully resolve?
       
      Ideally, what would it have taken to resolve it (them)?
  3. How would you describe the level of commitment of your teachers regarding this program?
    PROBE: What makes you think that?
       
      What do you think has lead to their level of commitment? or lack thereof?
  4. How would you describe the level of commitment of parents regarding this program?
    PROBE: What makes you think that?
       
      What do you think has lead to their level of commitment? or lack thereof?
  5. Are there any other people that you believe need to have a high level of commitment to the project to ensure its success?
    PROBE: What makes you say that?
  6. What do you feel has been the greatest benefit of being a participating school in this project?

  7. If you could pass on one piece of advice to a school just beginning this project, what would you tell them (maybe one DO and one DON'T?

 

SPRING EVALUATION -- TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

(TARGET SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT)

  1. How long has your school been involved with the Lightspan project?
    PROBE: How long have you personally been involved with the Lightspan project?
  2. One of the major goals of the Lightspan project is to extend the learning day through this home-school connection. To what extent do you think this goal has been met in your classroom?
    PROBE: Which of there were you able to successfully resolve?
  3. How would you describe the level of commitment of your teachers regarding this program?
    PROBE: Do you decide which CDs to send home with students? If so, how do you determine? If not, do the students ask for a new CD when they are ready?
       
      Do all students take home the same CD at the same time? How often do you collect the CDs and distribute a new one?
       
      Do you assign the students specific homework with the CDs? If so, do the student work low the CDs as they want to (i.e., not necessarily tied in to the classroom activities)?
  4. What kind of feedback have you heard from students or parents about the Lightspan software?
    PROBE: Do the students think it is fun? Do you think they understand they are doing an educational activity?
       
      Do the students think it is too easy? Do they get bored with it?
       
      Do the students talk about the CDs among themselves, i.e., comparing where they are with the CDs? Do the students seem proud when they finish a CD?
       
      Do you think the parents understand it is an educational activity? Have any parents complained that they think it is a waste of time (i.e., that their child is just playing)?
  5. What do you personally think of the Lightspan project?
    PROBE: Do you think the Lightspan project has been a worthwhile use of your and your students' time? Why or why not?
       
      Do you think the Lightspan software is challenging? Why or why not?
       
      Does the Lightspan software "fit" well within your curriculum or is it more of a burden to try to find a time where it seems appropriate to use it?
       
      Do you think the students' learn from the CDs? Do you think they learn more from using the CDs in the classroom or at home? Why do you think so?
       
      Are there components of the Lightspan project that you think are really good? If so, what? Are there components that need some more work? If so, what?
  6. How well prepared did you feel to help your students with the Playstation software?
    PROBE: Were you provided with training about the Lightspan project? What did you think about this training?
       
      Do you feel like you have a good understanding of the Lightspan project and how to use the software in the classroom?
       
      What could be done to help you feel more comfortable with the project/software?
  7. Do you think you will continue with the Lightspan software once the "project" is over?
    PROBE: Will you continue with the classroom component, home component, or both? Why?