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DOCUMENT R71.1SUME ED 253 314 PS 014 844 AUTHORTITLE WhatPeters, Does Donald Research L. Tell Us About CDA Training? PUB NOTE DATE Nov 12p.; (^84) Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young PUB TYPE ChildrenReports - (Los Research/Technical^ Angeles,^ CA,^ November (143, --8-11,^ 1984). Speeches /Conference Papers (.150) EDRSDESCRIPTORS PRICE MF01/PC01 *Child Caregivers; Plus Postage. *Competency Based Teacher Education; Education; EarlyPostsecondary Childhood Education; Education; *Preschool *Outcomes of Teachers; Characteristics; Program *TeacherEffectiveness; Effectiveness; Teacher Teaching IDENTIFIERS Skills;CDA; Child^ Training Development Associate ABSTRACT Research concerning the Child Development Associate
more^ (CDA) carefully^ program^ atthe^ the characteristics^ Pennsylvania^ Stateof the^ University adult learners^ aims^ to enrolled^ define in CDA and training,broaden the delineate scope of the outcome characteristics variables studied.and process To addressof training, this third focused aim, on athe series effects of ofstudies training conducted on a range over ofa periodteacher of 4 years has characteristics;self-concept, self-confidence, teacher beliefs, educational dogmatism, aspirations, locus of control, professional CDAinvolvement, behaviors,^ child and^ developmentcognitive flexibility.^ knowledge,^ earlyResults^ childhood of these^ methods, six development^ studies^ show andthat early^ (1)^ CDAchildhood^ trainees methods;^ gain^ specific (2) trainee^ knowledge educational^ of^ child moreaspirations actively^ appear involved^ to^ beprofessionally^ raised^ by^ participation; and seek professional^ (3)^ trainees growth;^ are cognitively(4)^ trainees oriented,^ demonstrate child-centered^ increased^ self-confidence, beliefs increase^ and during^ (5) the year.^ first Ityear is^ ofsuggested^ participation that slightand^ slightly differences^ decrease in percentagesduring^ the^ secondbetween these training results may beand enhanced those of by national the actual CDA assessmentsurveys indicate and credentialing that process (AS) or by the subsequent recognition credentialeJ CDA's attain.
Reproductions supplied from theby EDRSoriginal are document.the best that can be made *************************************************************.c*********
What Does Research Tell. Us About CDA Training? NATIONALINSTITUTEOFEDUCATION^ U.S.DEPARTMENTOFEDUCATION
.^ EDUCATIONALRESOURCESINFORMATION^ CENTERIERIC) Donald L. Peters )f,,Thisdocumenthasbeenreproducedas receivedfromthepersonororganization The Pennsylvania State University ;^ originatingrt.Minorchangeshavebeenmadetoimprove reproductionquality. Pointsofvieworopinionsstatedinthisdocu- mentdonotnecessarilyrepres,fitofficialNIE positionorpolicy. The Child Development Associate (CDA) program embodies many innovative concepts for training as wP11 as fOr the assessment and credentialing of early childhood personnel. Indeed, assessing the impact o-F the CDA "process" on the individuals involved, it is often-difficult to separate out the effects of the formal assessment .and credentialing procedures from those of the training that brought the person to "readiness," and both -from the selection factors that brought the individuals into the program in the first place. It is to the effects of training that this report is directed. Few studies are available that address either the perbcess or outcomes of CDA training. CDA training is going on in some form
throughout the United Sttes. Over 300 institutions of higher.'
education are now,. or have been, providers of training. The wrfAH federal government early on provided funds +or- the development of
re
a variety of training models, and, even within a single institution programs may differ in systematic ways. It seems strange then that so little is known and documented about the CDA training process.
",^ Even^ stranger^ is^ the^ lack^ of^ solid^ data^ about^ the^ effects^ of-
:4r4A4 CDA training on the individuals involved. The -few published studies have focused upon such variables as the success of "PERMISSIONTOREPRODUCETHIS MATERIALHASBEENGRANTEDBY 00\r"sek..\4 L.k--)tiRi-s TOTHEEDUCATIONALRESOURCESINFORMATIONCENTER(ERIC)."
What Does Research Tell
analysis of Head Start, CDA, and a wide range of other early childhood -education materials suggests a broader set of teacher characteristics ti-at "excellent" early childhood teachers 41ould
have.'" The include: flexibilityl^ the^ ability^ to^ adapt^ to^ the
needs of individual children and parents, self-directedness, the understanding and adoption of a consistent belief systscm about children's learning and development, a child-centered approach toward teaching, a positive self-image as a person and as a teacher-, and a sense of professionalism and professional grdwth. The teacher demonstrating these characteristics is likely to be successful in ALL situations. In a series of studies conducted over the last four years, we have sought to determine the effects of training on this^ range of teacher characteristics. We^ have^ attempted^ to^ design^ studies with Gufficient control to allow reasonable.attribution to the effects 04: training over and above such other factors as self-selection. The^ vast^ majority^ of^ our^ data^ have^ been collacted prior to CDA assessment and credentitling. Lt^ me briefly summarize our findings to date. Summary of Results Table 1 summarizes^ the^ result^ of^ six^ studies.^ In^ essence, our data show that
- CDA^ trainees^ gain^ specific^ knowledge^ of^ child deveiopment and early childhood methods and that such knowledge is reflected in classroom behavi or. These^ results^ are^ manifest on paper-and-pencil assessments (Llewellyn, 1983 Prudhoe,^ 1983), through classroom observations (Prudhoe, 1983) ,and^ through
Study Sample
Table 1 .Summary of Study Samples and Results
CDA Variables Programs
What Does. Research Tel! Us
Results.
Peters & Sutton N=5 CDA t ress) N=44^ Undergraduates
(^7) DogmatismTeacher beliefs Locus of control Self-concept Self-confidence Educational aspirations
Suttqp & Peters N=9 CDA 3 Teacher^ beliefs (Longitudinal^ (Note^ 1)- replication)
Peters (1984) N=108 N=70 HeadCDA^ Start control 18 Self-confidenceTeacher^ beliefs ProfessionalEducational^ aspirationsinvdl ment,
Llewellyn (1983) N=
Prudhoe (1983) N=8 N=8^ TraditionalCDA only N=8 CDA & traditional
*.
beliefs.^ Increased^ child-centered,^ cognitive Increased educational aspira- tions. Increased self-confidence, Improved performance ir. several^ areas of No classroomsignificant performance. differences in CDA's or Undugraduates in beliefs, dogmatise, locus of control, or self-concept..
Increased child-centered, cognitive beliefs.
CDA's more than control involved in CH's^ educational more than^ activities. control professionally CDA's^ involved, stronger than control in child- centered, cognitive beliefs, A
ra
1 Child Early^ developmentchildhood methods and^ knowledge^ Increased early^ educationknowledge methods.of^ child^ development
Child development knowledge Increased knowledge and improved class- ! CDA behaviors room functional^ competence areas.^ in^ some,^ but^ not^ all, CDA and traditional significantly better.
Sutton (1983) 13 TeacherCognitive^ beliefs flexibility 5
Teachertion, to beliefs closeness related of supervision, to routiniza- and to and complexitthings* of^ work^ with^ people,^ data,
What Does Research Tell.
- CDA^ trainees^ have^ increased^ self-confidence^ as^ teachers based upon self -- reports (Peters, 1984; Peters & Sutton, in press). However,^ when^ lookea^ against^ the^ Head^ Start^ control
group and across time in.traning, an interesting picture
emerges. ,It appears that entry in the CDA program initially depresses self-confidence (X = 24.1, one month into the program, as.compared to controls, X = 25.3, and second-year trainees, X = 26.1), but that this is .restored by the end of the initial year, (X = 25.6). Second-year"^ trainees^ were^ found^ to^ have^ consistently and significantly higher self-confidence levels than their Head Start controls. No significant changes in the control group's self- confidence were noted over time. By far, the most robust of our findings to date have been in the area of cognitively oriented, child-centered^ beliefs. SLich beliefs have been found to increase with time in (MA training during the first year and slightly decrease during^ the second year (Peters & Sul.ton, in press). This^ cross-sectional finding was replicated in an 18 month longitudinal study^ (Sutton & Peters, 1983). CDA^ trainees^ were^ found^ to^ be^ significantly more likelY to endorse such beliefs than Head^ Start^ controls (Peters, 1984) , both^ initially^ and^ after^ training,^ and^ showed^ a trend toward greater endorsement than undergraduates completing a
four-yea early childhood teacher training program (Peters &
Sutton, in press). Adherence^ to^ such^ beliefs^ was^ founo^ to^ he related to specific characteristics^ of^ the^ CDA^ training^ program (low routinization,wand supervision and high levels of complexity) 'k
What Does Research Tell
(Sutton, 1983). That sulth trainees more strongly endorse child-centered, cognitively oriented beliefs at the outset of training clearly points to a self-selection factor for those entering -the program. Dicussion We at Penn State have gained, considerable experience with CDA training over the past several year. We have trained close to 3CD CDA's and currently have 175 CDA trainees in our programs. We have incorporated CDA raining^ in^ our^ undergraduate^ program and have involved CDA trainees from almost all of HHS Region III CDA Training programs in our research. Our research findings' corroborate our -gut' reactions. Our data are consistent with those of the national survey of CDA's andjwith those of smaller studies conducted by ot..hers. CDA training has made a difference in the lives of those involved. CDA's are better, more self-confident teachers who view themselves as professionals. They^ seek^ additional^ professional growth through formal educational programs. Additionally, they have a better understanding of child development, a coherent set of beliefs about learning and development, and endorse child-centered approaches toward early childhood education. In shortl.those enterinb the CDA process, completing training, and getting credentialed are likely to have the observed competence and personal attributes of excellent early childhood teachers. Some^ of^ the^ "success"^ of^ the^ program
likely due to selfselection. Directors^ and^ Education
WhatDoes Research Tell
Footnotes Paper presented as part' of^ CLA^ Preconference^ Sessii.on,^ Annual Meeting of the National Association -For theEducationof Young Children, Los Angeles, Cal i:f Ornia, November^ 8,^ 1984.
- The^ CDA^ functional^ area^ indicators^ get^ at^ these characteristics as well, but, with some excepti.ons, the characterist,ics,cutacross-functionalareas and^ represent^ a di-F-Ferent/11"-flctor" structure.
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Re-ferences
What Does Research Tell
4 Srawley, G., Gerstein, H., & Watkin's, K. A. '(1T81). compe.cency-based training program for daycare personnel. Child Care Quarterly1.10(2) 125-136: Llewellyn, E. (1983). The _effects of groviding independence and
generalization oggortunities on the lernintro+ ChiLd
Development Associate trainees. , 41, ,Unpublished doctoral disSerttion" The Pennsylvania State University.' Peters, D. L. (1984)., Introductory skills grogram for services aersonnef (CDA -Training: Description and ' evaluation). 'The, Pennsylvania State University, College of Human DeVelopment. Peters, D. L., & Sutton, R. E. (In press). The effects of CDA training on the beliefs, attitudes., and behaviors of Head Start personnel. Child^ Care^ Quarterly. Pettycirove, W. (1981). The Child Development Associate credential as a dhild care staff standard: Accuracy, career development, and policy implications. Child Care Quarterly,
10(1), 43Fq.
Prudhoe, C. Ni. (1983). An evaluation of three greservice grogr.ams for early childhood gersonnel. Unpublished Master's thesis, The Pennsylvania State University. Sutton, R. E. (1993). The dev.elogment. qf a mea.sunp to psseps dimensions o+ inservice training grogra.ms. (^) Unpublished doctoral, dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
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