Critique Paper

Introduction

Promoting Student–Teacher Interactions: Exploring a Peer

Coaching Model for Teachers in a Preschool Setting
Title:
Two Head Start schools (12 classrooms) randomly
assigned to treatment (COACH program)，
Population/Patient/Problem
Another two schools (12 classrooms) for control condition.

Including 24 teachers in four urban Head Start preschools

in a mid-Atlantic state participated.

Intervention Peer Coaching training

Comparative intervention Two schools (12 classrooms) for control condition.

Outcome Peer coaching program is perceived as acceptable and

feasible by the participating preschool teachers ;
It may strengthen student–teacher interactions.
 Critique Paper

strength weakness

3 paragraphs: including “Effective Professional Development”, “peer coaching” and

Literature “current study”
review
Clearly stress the gap: 1.The number of literature is small, （only
few programs have utilized a 3 articles in “current study”）

peer coaching model for ongoing 2.Lack of inductive analysis and more gaps.
professional development. Didn’t follow PICO, lack of C and O

1.To exploring a peer coaching program which is acceptable and feasible for participating
preschool teachers;
objective 2.To examine the peer coaching model’s effects on strengthen student–teacher interactions
with regards to emotional support, classroom organization,
and instructional support.
1.Specific, measureable, and realistic. 1.Due to small sample size, fail to consider
analyzing the different effect of the model
2.Creative: previous researchers only paid
in terms of teacher’s education, gender,
attention to children's academic
working years, etc.
performance, psychological problems, and
learning behavior and try to analyze the 2.Further program is needed to test which
correlation with teacher-child interaction. part of the model is more effect, and the
model’s effects on children’s adaptive
3.Interdisciplinary: previous researchers also
development.
focused on MTP and MMCI models, seldom
CREATED interdisciplinary models.

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 Mainly about the importance of Student–Teacher Interactions in Preschool
Problem
Statement

Including the“ why the problem is Lack of explaining “what’s the problem”,
important” and “how it could be investigated and “the magnitude” (no statistics or charts)
” parts.

intervention 1. 7 Weeks Peer Coaching training to improve teacher child interaction , (consists of a
training workshop on coaching skills and student-teacher interactions, six peer coaching
sessions, and three center meetings)
2. Another two schools (12 classrooms) for control condition.

1. Specific, step by step and achievable 1.Treatment condition assigned at the

school level. It is not possible to sample
completely randomly,
2. With pre-test and post-test

2. The control group is set up in two

schools in the other two cities, and it is
impossible to guarantee that all control
conditions are the same
Demographic Questionnaire (before training)
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (after training to assess interaction quality )
instruments
Acceptability and Feedback Questionnaire (after training )

Reliability and validity 1. Lack a system to measure teachers’

implementation fidelity

2. Specific training is needed to use

CLASS tool

Research A treatment–control design

method
1. Creative: previous studies have mostly
used quantitative research that analyzes
correlations, and seldom used
experiments or treatment control
method.
2. Study lasted for 7 Weeks, easy to operate
1.The sample (24 teachers ) is selected
from the head start kindergarten in the
4 urban kindergartens. The results of
the study cannot be adapted to the
situation in low-income areas and it is
difficult to promote.

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 2. Costly, every participant paid for
$30