| Summary: | Problem: Studies indicated that the presence of substitute teachers who are deficient in classroom management skills can be a deterrent to the educational continuity of the students. Due to increasing amounts of negotiated sick leave and compensated time for professional development, teachers are spending more time out of the classroom. Thus, there is a need for substitute teachers to be better prepared to carry on the educational process. However, in New Jersey, there is no provision for training this segment of staff, either through the county, the state, or educational institutions. In a effort to improve the current skills of substitute teachers, this study tested and evaluated a model hypertext computer-based training program that was designed to better prepare substitute teachers for their classroom responsibilities.
Procedure: In the first phase of the study, a hypertext CBT program was developed to (a) increase knowledge of classroom management, (b) provide a cost-effective solution to expensive training, and (c) administer training without constraints of time or staff. The second phase of the study field-tested the program using a modified quasi-experimental version of a non-equivalent control group design. Employing a multiple-choice instrument, the experimental group (new substitute teachers) used a pretest, application, posttest design to determine if computer-based training could increase their current level of knowledge. Control group I (experienced substitutes), and control group 2 (experienced teachers) used a posttest-only design to determine benchmarks for the study.
Results: (1) Comparison between the experimental group's pretest score (60.25) and control group I's posttest-only score (59.25) indicated no difference in these groups' knowledge, suggesting knowledge of classroom management techniques was not necessarily gained with experience. (2) The analysis of the pretest (60.25) and posttest (78.50) scores of the experimental group indicated the CBT program produced the desired results, at the .05 level of significance. (3) The posttest-only knowledge-based test administer to control group 2 (85.50) supported this author's expectations that experienced teachers would score significantly higher than either the new substitute teachers' pretest scores or the experienced substitute teachers' posttest scores. (4) After the application of CBT, there was no significant difference between the knowledge of classroom management techniques of the CBT trained substitute teachers and experienced teachers.
Conclusion: The conclusions of this study are: (I) as demonstrated through the results, the hypertext CBT program created and tested for this study shows a significant increase in substitute teachers' knowledge of classroom management. (2) All substitute teachers needed training regardless of experience. (3) The CBT program was successful under the conditions of the study. And (4), further research is needed to determine if the knowledge gained through this program can be transferred into the classroom. Conclusion: The conclusions of this study are: (I) as demonstrated through the results, the hypertext CBT program created and tested for this study shows a significant increase in substitute teachers' knowledge of classroom management. (2) All substitute teachers needed training regardless of experience. (3) The CBT program was successful under the conditions of the study. And (4), further research is needed to determine if the knowledge gained through this program can be transferred into the classroom.
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