Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Graduate education aims to instill the knowledge and skills to prepare students for their future careers. In this study, faculty in graduate programs in school psychology and reading instruction collaborated on a semester-long workshop series to foster students’ knowledge and interest in school-based collaborative consultation (SBCC). This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to explore students’ knowledge, confidence, and experience with SBCC during the four workshop series. The sample consisted of 24 graduate school psychology students and 14 graduate reading specialist students at one large, urban, public university in Southern California during the Fall 2017 semester. Pre- and post-surveys were administered at the beginning and end of the course and one focus group interview was conducted at the end of the semester. Students also evaluated each of the workshops, which were presented by two faculty members in each other’s classes. Paired t-tests on pre and post-survey scores looked at knowledge, confidence, interest in SBCC. There was a significant difference between pre and post-survey scores in terms of knowledge [t(24) = -9.83, p = .000] and confidence [t(25) = -4.21, p = .000], but no significant difference in interest in learning more about SBCC [t(24) = 1.79, p > .05]. Comments from workshop evaluations and the focus group interview were coded for themes to confirm the survey results. Students reported that the workshops helped them to ‘think more broadly’ and to consider different perspectives, but they also complained about the time involved in implementing SBCC.