THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION IN COURSEWARE PREVIEW METHODOLOGY ON THE PREDICTIVE-VALIDITY OF TEACHER PREVIEW RATINGS

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of instruction in courseware preview methodology on the predictive validity of the c ourseware preview ratings of primary (elementary) school teachers. The term predictive validity in this context refers to the confidence wit h which a teacher's preview rating before classroom trialling can be u sed to predict his or her postview rating after classroom trialling. I t was found that a high level of instruction in courseware preview met hodology is likely to increase the predictive validity of the coursewa re preview ratings of primary school teachers. The results of the stud y demonstrated that such instruction has the potential to substantiall y reduce the need for classroom trialling of courseware by teachers as a prelude to purchase decisions. Highly trained teachers have reason to be confident about using their preview-based estimates of coursewar e merit as a basis for selecting courseware for themselves, their scho ol, or larger populations with which they are familiar, in the sense t hat their choice is likely to agree with the decision they would make if they were to conduct classroom trialling prior to selection. The im plication for educational practice is that instructional courses for t eachers in courseware preview methodology are worthwhile, provided the y are substantial and of high quality.