Effectiveness of a professional development program on teacher-child interactions

The proposed study will develop and deliver a professional development (PD) program for early years professionals in Lethbridge. The purpose of the study is two-fold: 1) to increase teachers’ knowledge about the important role that teacher-child interactions play in children’s learning; and 2) to elevate teachers’ specific skills in offering high-quality interactions with children with a particular focus on instructional support. To evaluate the effectiveness of a PD program on teacher-child interactions, the current study will employ a random assignment experimental design which utilizes a pre-test, professional development sessions and then a post-test.