A descriptive analysis of teachers' use of evidence-based practices across ethnicity, gender, and disabiltiy risk

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent teachers use evidence-based practices during classroom instruction and if those practices were applied differentially across demographic groups (i.e., ethnicity, gender, and disability risk) in Title 1 schools located within the city limits of a large urban center. A descriptive analysis was used to answer the research questions. Results of the study provide evidence that teachers use evidence-based practices at rates lower than advocated in the literature. Additionally, results demonstrated that when teachers did use evidence-based practices they were distributed inequitably across demographic groups. Findings from the study support the need to research parsimonious strategies to increase teachers' equitable use of evidence-based practices.