A Randomized Trial of Embedded Instruction Training and Coaching for Preschool Teachers: Impacts on Teacher Implementation and Child Outcomes

The increasing number of children with disabilities served in inclusive preschool classrooms has heightened the need for instructional approaches that support learning during naturally occurring classroom activities and routines. Embedded instruction (EI) is a naturalistic teaching approach that allows teachers to provide systematic learning opportunities for children with disabilities within everyday classroom contexts. This study examined the effects of two professional development approaches, Supporting Early Education through Embedded Instruction (SEED-EI) workshops and SEED-EI workshops combined with practice-based coaching, on preschool teachers’ implementation of EI and the learning outcomes of children with disabilities. A randomized controlled design was used with 36 preschool teachers and 36 children with disabilities. Teachers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: business-as-usual (BAU), SEED-EI workshops, or SEED-EI workshops plus coaching. Results indicated that teachers who participated in the SEED-EI interventions implemented EI practices more frequently and with greater accuracy than teachers in the BAU condition, with the highest levels observed among teachers who received coaching. Children whose teachers participated in the intervention conditions demonstrated greater improvements in target behaviors, particularly in the coaching condition. Findings highlight the importance of sustained, job-embedded professional development supports for improving the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices in inclusive preschool classrooms.