Introducing the Content Acquisition Podcast Professional Development Process: Supporting Vocabulary Instruction for Inclusive Middle School Science Teachers

Abstract

Improving inclusive middle school science teachers’ vocabulary instruction is a critical step toward helping those professionals support the learning needs of all students. In this Institute of Education Sciences (IES)–funded project, inclusive science teachers received professional development using elements of a multimedia-based approach called the Content Acquisition Podcast Professional Development (CAP-PD) intervention process. In this article, the authors discuss the three iterative pilot studies conducted as a part of this project and how each contributed to its development. Drawing on a theoretical framework that considers the characteristics of effective professional development, CAP-PD has three elements: (a) use of instructional videos that highlight the steps of practices and embed modeling videos to demonstrate practice, (b) preproduced instructional materials that support the implementation of evidence-based practices, and (c) feedback for teachers using data outputs from a classroom observation tool developed as a part of this project. Across studies, teachers who engaged in the CAP-PD process made important gains in terms of how much time they spent delivering evidence-based vocabulary instruction and the number of different practices implemented with fidelity. Future research should address questions of the lasting impact of this process on student learning and how to adapt the CAP-PD to help teachers do more than improve their vocabulary instruction.

Content acquisition podcasts’ impact on preservice teachers’ understanding of language and disability

“…For example, CAP professional development process (CAP-PD) may allow for a deeper understanding British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 51 No 6 2020 of this complex topic. CAP-PD is a multimedia professional development process that utilizes an assortment of tools that include (1) "CAPs for Teachers with Embedded Modeling Videos," (2) instructional slides that can be used and adapted for immediate use, and (3) coaching and feedback on the learner's implementation of specific practices (Kennedy, Rodgers, Romig, Mathews, & Peeples, 2018). Second, the absence of a control or comparison group in this investigation was also a significant limitation to this study.…”

Improving Teaching Quality for Students With Disabilities: Establishing a Warrant for Teacher Education Practice

“…Thirty-eight TESE studies examined the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches to improving teacher learning (e.g., coaching, video analysis, and multicomponent innovations that include some combination of knowledge development, modeling, practice, and feedback; see Online Appendix A). The vast majority were designed to improve teachers’ knowledge and skill for implementing evidence-based practice (e.g., Kennedy, Rodgers, Romig, Mathews, & Peeples, 2018; Sayeski, Hamilton-Jones, Cutler, Earle, & Husney, 2019). A summary of the research supporting each pedagogical approach follows.…”

“…The second largest set of studies used mostly single-subject, experimental and quasi-experimental methodologies to demonstrate the efficacy of multicomponent approaches for increasing teachers’ knowledge, instructional skills, and/or student outcomes in a variety of areas (e.g., functional behavioral assessment, vocabulary instruction, and elementary reading, writing, and mathematics instruction) using mostly single-subject and quasi-experimental designs (see Online Appendix A). Multicomponent innovations incorporated some combination of initial training in strategies (and sometimes content knowledge underlying those strategies) with at least two or more of the following active learning opportunities: modeling, practice in structured settings, action research projects, professional learning community, and/or feedback (e.g., Browder et al, 2012; Cavazos, Linan-Thompson, & Ortiz, 2018; Hoover & Soltero-González, 2018; Horrocks & Morgan, 2011; Kennedy et al, 2018; Lembke et al, 2018). Findings from 10 studies showed that multicomponent interventions were able to change teachers’ use of discrete instructional behaviors (e.g., Horrocks & Morgan, 2011) and more complex instructional routines (e.g., Kennedy et al, 2018; Lembke et al, 2018).…”

“…Six studies, all conducted by Kennedy and colleagues, used Mayer’s (2008) cognitive theory of multimedia learning to guide their development of CAPs to increase teachers’ knowledge of content and/or pedagogy (Alves et al, 2018; Driver et al, 2014; Kennedy et al, 2016; Kennedy et al, 2012; Kennedy, Hart, & Kellems, 2011; Kennedy et al, 2018). Mayer’s (2008) cognitive theory of multimedia learning is based on the psychological theories of dual-processing and cognitive load .…”

“…From this perspective, cognitive load is reduced and processing enhanced when teacher and student learning experiences combine visuals and minimal spoken text to convey concepts and ideas. To connect the knowledge taught in the CAPs to the broader knowledge required to engage in effective instruction, Kennedy and colleagues have developed additional implementation supports such as opportunities for teacher candidates to create their CAPs (Alves et al, 2018), and video modeling combined with follow-up coaching (Kennedy et al, 2018).…”