The Use of E-Mail to Deliver Performance-Based Feedback to Early Childhood Practitioners

Abstract

Three studies are described that examined the relation between performance-based (PB) feedback delivered via e-mail and preschool teachers’ use of recommended practices. The authors conducted the first two studies in the same classroom with different classroom staff. The third study was conducted with three different teachers employed in three separate classrooms. In Study I, the teachers demonstrated initial increases in use of targeted practices; however, the increases did not maintain over time. In Study II, the teachers demonstrated initial increases with some variability across behaviors. In Study III, a functional relation was established for three teachers across three self-selected behaviors, which generalized and maintained. The discussion includes implications for future PD research and practice, and provides recommendations for designing effective PB feedback systems.