The Impact of Professional Development Training on Instructors at After School Matters
Ed.D. dissertation completed in 2012 for Olivet Nazarene University.
Abstract
This study examined the impact youth development training had on the professional practices of youth workers at a nationally recognized, non-profit, after school program in Midwest metropolitan area. The researcher also examined how the Youth Program Quality (YPQ) training changed how instructors assessed, planned, and improved their delivery of providing safe and supportive environments, youth engagement and interaction with teens enrolled in After School Matters (ASM) after-school programs. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of how instructors, who are skilled professionals, transferred what they learned from the Youth Program Quality training workshops to their specific after school programs. The YPQ training was offered to equip the instructors with the knowledge and skills necessary to best serve the youth program participants and to promote the vision and mission of After School Matters. Additionally, the training was intended to help instructors establish a conceptual framework for application and practice. The results of this study supported the empirical literature that youth development training for youth workers can positively impact after school programs.