Effect of Teaching Experience on Student Outcomes in Two Language Arts Units for Gifted Students

This research examined the association between teachers’ teaching experiences and student learning outcomes in two language arts units for gifted students. A growing body of research identifies teachers as the single most important factor affecting student learning and demonstrates that the effects of teachers on student learning outcomes are additive and cumulative. However, empirical evidence regarding the effect of teachers’ teaching experiences on students’ learning in the gifted education context is scant. Based on the review of the relevant literature, curvilinear relationship of years of teaching experience in general education classrooms and years of teaching in programs for gifted learners to students learning outcomes after controlling for students’ prior achievement and other classroom level variables were examined through multilevel analyses. Among the key findings are: (a) using standard-referenced tests, neither the association between years of teaching in general education classrooms and student outcomes nor the association between years of teaching in programs for gifted learners and student outcomes were statistically significant after controlling for students’ prior achievement, classroom size, and contact time, and (b) using performance assessment scores, neither the association between years of teaching in general education classrooms and the performance assessment scores nor the association between years of teaching in programs for gifted students and the performance assessment scores was statistically significant after controlling for students’ prior achievement, classroom size, and contact time. Although treatment status or other classroom variables were not of interest in the study, the results suggested that the large portions of the variances between classrooms in the post-tests were accounted for by the treatment effect, and that contact time was significantly associated with the performance assessment scores. Implications for teacher development and implementation of curriculum and instruction in programs for gifted learners are discussed.