A study of the effects of selected staff development programs on student learning achievement in mathematics

The purpose of this study was to assess whether elementary teachers who had training in two instructional effectiveness programs, the Hunter model and the McCarthy 4-mat model, would have higher student math achievement test scores in computation and concepts and application than teachers with the Hunter training but without the McCarthy 4-Mat training and/or teachers without the Hunter training and without the McCarthy 4-Mat training. The research question asked in the study was: What are the differences in math computation and math concepts and application scores (based on the California Achievement Test) in students of teachers who have had staff development training in ITIP and 4-Mat when compared to scores of students whose teachers had training only in ITIP and when compared to students whose teachers had no training in ITIP or 4-Mat ? The research design was non-randomized and quasi-experimental, in which post-only achievement scores, previous achievement, and IQ scores were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Three groups, each with eight fifth and sixth grade teachers, took part in the study with a total of 417 students involved. Group 1 teachers were trained in the Hunter model and 4-Mat model; Group 2 teachers were trained in the Hunter model only; and Group 3 teachers served as the control group. Data on computation and concepts and application were collected using the California Achievement Test in Mathematics, as well as background data for all teachers concerning their age, number of years of experience, sex, degrees, number of staff development courses taken, and number of high school and college courses taken in mathematics. No significant results were found in the fifth grade scores for either math computation or math concepts and application. No significant results were found in the sixth grade scores for math concepts and application. There was a significant difference in sixth grade math computation scores. Students in the lower and middle IQ levels scored significantly lower in math computation than those with high IQ levels. Group 1 teachers had significantly lower mean math computation scores than the other two treatment groups. Background data were similar for all groups of teachers