Application and Utility of the Guskey Professional Development Evaluation Model in a Community College Setting

The purpose of this study was to understand how effective the Guskey professional development evaluation model would be in a community college setting and determine how well the model serves the needs of the key college stakeholders. The study used the Guskey model to evaluate a professional development activity at a community college. The need for this type of research is evident in the current limitations of formal assessment of professional development activities at the community college. Accordingly, this study sought to determine the effectiveness of the Guskey’s evaluation model of professional development training from a broader perspective, including participants reactions, determining if the training met the target goals, resulted in administrative support for the training and subsequent implementation, and finally assessing to what extent the training was transferred to the classroom setting.

Data were gathered through seven different instruments: professional development training evaluations, semi-structured interviews with participants and administration, engagement survey results, review of policy and procedures, classroom observations and embedded assessment.

Data were analyzed through statistical and qualitative methods. The data analyses revealed the training was effective on all five evaluation levels identified by Guskey. The model provided a systematic approach to evaluation; beginning with training and ending with improvement of student learning. A report generated from the data served as a basis for an assessment report for community college stakeholders. The report provided appropriate data to make informed decisions. The knowledge gained in this study will add to the professional development assessment literature and will contribute to the culture of assessment in the community college setting.