Program evaluation of diversity issues in infant preschooler mental health.

摘要

Diversity issues in infant preschooler mental health training (DIV) was evaluated using Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick's (1994) four levels of evaluation: (a) Level 1, reaction; (b) Level 2, learning; (c) Level 3, performance; and (d) Level 4, impact. Level 1 evaluated the DIV students' comments and scores of the Diversity Rating Form (DRF). Level 2 compared the posttraining questionnaire and Knowledge Questionnaire (KQ) totals for DIV (n = 12) and comparison group (CG; n=5) who are not enrolled in the DIV. Level 3 compared the posttraining responses of the DIV and CG California Brief Multicultural Scale (CBMCS) subscales. Level 4 evaluated community feedback on the DIV presentations. Results: The DIV training (a) was enjoyed, (b) applied the I-MERIT diversity principles, and (c) transcended into the community. Although not statistically significant, the DIV training group had consistently higher knowledge, cultural awareness, and sensitivity scores than did the comparison group. The increased knowledge/awareness impacted the early childhood professional community via the students' final presentations that elicited more than 59 positive community responses with the desire for more training in the future. Limitations: small sample size, limited comparison sample.