ERIC Number: EJ1329266
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Apr
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1387-1579
EISSN: N/A
The Observation of Special Education Classrooms by School Personnel
Cipriano, Christina; Barnes, Tia N.
Learning Environments Research, v25 n1 p235-253 Apr 2022
Classroom observation is an accountability practice which promotes the evaluation of teachers' capacity to meet standards, improve teaching practices, and enhance student learning outcomes. Prior research has revealed that these practices are not without bias: the reliability of observation can be challenged because of classroom or observer characteristics. Unlike general education learning environments, much less is known about the reliability of observing classrooms that service students with disabilities. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of special-education classroom observation by school personnel. Using a systematic scorer design modeled after the MET Project, we examined different combinations of observers (special educator, school leader, paraprofessional, and researcher) and lessons to test the impact of prior exposure to a teacher on scoring the RELATE Tool for Special Education Classroom Observation (RELATE). Analyses of RELATE scorer reliability, comparison of school personnel and researchers on their scores' aggregates and variance, and the implications for generalization and special education classroom observation are discussed.
Descriptors: Special Education Teachers, Observation, Reliability, Leaders, Paraprofessional School Personnel, Researchers, Special Education
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A