| Summary: | The purpose of this research was to examine the training, implementation and
outcomes of Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) and Bright Start-A Cognitive
Curriculum for Young Children from the perspective of the teachers involved. The
research was conducted by means of a survey distributed to all elementary schools in
Vancouver and included 8 selected individual interviews. The 48 responding teachers
had participated in a total of 114 training sessions, reflecting multiple trainings for 28
of the respondents. FIE and Bright Start were used in some way by about one third of
the survey respondents, while Dynamic Assessment was used by over half of the
respondents. Participants indicated a high use of mediated learning (MLE) and there
were indications that MLE alone is having positive effects on teachers' practice.
Factors that motivated teachers' participation in these trainings were: 1) school support
2) positive word-of-mouth-reports from friends and colleagues; 3) a search for
improvements to teaching skills; 4) a match to a teacher's personal style. Suggestions
for training improvement included: 1) better organization of the instructional time and
materials; 2) improvements to the delivery of the training; 3) offering training in
various formats; 4) increased opportunities for practice; 5) options for post-training
support. Factors that positively influenced use of training included: 1) training in more
than one program; 2) team teaching; 3) student success; 4) school support. Factors
identified as not supportive of implementation included: 1) lack of post-training
support; 2) isolation; 3) difficulties with the materials and manuals; 4) time limitations;
5) changes in teaching assignments. Suggestions to support increased use in schools
included: 1) increasing the number of trained people in each school; 2) options for posttraining
support; 3) including the programs in Learning Centers; 4) increasing
publicity. Outcomes for teachers included a sense of improved teaching skills, an
increase in positive attitudes towards students ability to learn, and more awareness of
students' learning needs. These programs appear to offer teachers a valuable classroom
option.
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