The teachers of tomorrow can become better prepared to better handle the diverse needs of students in a special education setting. In “Effects of a Professional Development Package to Prepare Special Education Paraprofessionals to Implement Evidence-Based Practice,” Brock & Carter (2013) fill a gap in existing literature on teacher preparation for special education, and offer suggestions for improving paraprofessional teacher training in special education. The study focuses on a subset of educational professionals: paraprofessionals. A thoughtful introduction “sets the stage for the entire project,” establishing the central issues and concerns and building up to the purpose statement in effective empirical research using the scientific method (Creswell, 2013, p. 107).
As Creswell (2013) points out, research problems can stem from many potential sources of inspiration in which a need or pressing problem has been identified in the real world. In the Brock & Carter (2013) research, the authors point out that paraprofessionals are being relied on more and more to fill staffing and service delivery gaps in education, but “receive strikingly limited training,” (Brock & Carter, 2013, p. 39). The lack of preparation and training given to paraprofessionals constitutes significant ethical violations in the realm of special education, and should be addressed promptly through research like this. In fact, the authors also point out the importance of the research in light of legal mandates in special education.
Therefore, the primary problem being addressed in the Brock & Carter (2013) research is that paraprofessionals are undertrained and underprepared even though are being given a greater set of responsibilities and are playing more active roles in the lives of students. A related issue addressed in the Brock & Carter (2013) research relates to the best approaches to paraprofessional teacher training: with most studies showing that single-day workshops are a waste of time and money because they do not yield any appreciable learning outcomes. The purpose of the Brock & Carter (2013) research is to address the gap in the literature on best practices in paraprofessional teacher training, by providing an evidence-based model that can be monitored and assessed over time for its efficacy. The purpose statement of this study effectively “sets forth the intent of the study,” such as showing how the results might be applied to the educational practice setting or be used to inform public policy analysis (Creswell, 2013, p. 123). It should also be a clear and “declarative” statement (Lewkowicz, 2012, p. 2).
For this study, the researchers designed a proprietary training model and tested it on a cohort of paraprofessional educators using a randomized controlled trial and then show how the results of the study can be applied to educational policy and practice. The researchers clearly differentiate between the problem that was identified, the research questions that guide...
41, but do not offer a hypothesis or null hypothesis for each of them. In quantitative research, the research questions “inquire about the relationships among variables,” (Creswell, 2013, p. 143). Although the researchers do use a research design with an experimental and comparison group, they do not provide a quantitative hypothesis, in which specific predictions are made. However, it can be inferred that the hypotheses will affirm the use of the VMPAC model, with expectations that is implementation will lead to positive learning outcomes for paraprofessionals in a special education setting. The first research question is “Compared with a stand-alone training workshop, does a combination of a workshop and follow-up VMPAC training package improve paraprofessionals’ implementation of constant time delay?” The second research question is, “What is the effect of only the video modeling component on implementation fidelity?” Third, the researchers ask, “What is the effect of only the coaching component on implementation fidelity?” Finally, the researchers want to know: “What is the effect of only the coaching component compared with a combination of coaching and video modeling?” It is hypothesized in general that the proprietary VMPAC model is “a powerful and feasible model of professional development,” and is at least superior to existing methods of paraprofessional training (Brock & Carter, 2013, p. 41). Null hypotheses would follow that the VMPAC model proved no more effective than the other instructional or training strategies.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Theoretical frameworks guide all empirical research conducted using the scientific method, even when the authors do not state outright which specific theories they work with in the present study. No specific theoretical or conceptual framework is mentioned in the introduction or elsewhere in the research. Nor is one needed, because the research addresses a pragmatic issue related to the need for improved training for paraprofessionals. This is not an experimental study that is designed to test theory; it is an experimental research design to assess the efficacy of a specific training intervention. The Brock & Carter (2013) research still uses the scientific method, and an experimental research design, and as such serves the function of knowledge generation. Moreover, the presentation of the background and results remains focused throughout the report. The research conducted with the scientific method is described as “set of assumptions and procedures for knowledge acquisition consistent with scientific norms,” (Morais, 2012, p. 2). Brock & Carter (2013) do continually stress the concept of constant…
