WEEK THREE

EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to;

i. Explain the concept educational intervention correctly.

ii. Illustrate the barriers that hinder or complicate the learning of learners in
educational settings.
iii. Examine the process of identification and support offered to learners with
diverse educational needs.
iv. Evaluate the categories of ability of learners and propose requisite
appropriate interventions.

Introduction

The concept educational intervention refers to the process, strategy or

activity of teachers in controlling or eliminating barriers that confront or
hinder the effective participation of learners in the learning process. The
barriers that hinder learners from maximizing their learning outcomes might
be psychological, physical, curriculum and policy, pedagogical,emotional,
spiritual or environmental. Educational intervention seeks to eliminate,
modify, adjust or control the barriers so that they do not affect the learning
outcomes of learners.

Educational interventions are structured actions, strategies, or programs

designed to improve students' learning outcomes, particularly for those who
may be struggling or at risk of falling behind. Educational interventions can
also be defined as the strategies, programs, or actions designed to improve
student learning, address academic challenges, or enhance educational
outcomes. These interventions are typically targeted to support students
who may be struggling in certain areas or to promote excellence in specific
subjects. These interventions can target various aspects of education, such
as academic skills, behavior, or social-emotional development. They can take
different forms, including tutoring, specialized instruction, modifications to
the curriculum, or the implementation of new teaching techniques. The goal
is to provide targeted support that helps students overcome challenges and
achieve educational success.

Educational interventions can take many forms depending on the context

and goals, including:

i. Remedial Programs: Designed for students who are behind in specific

areas like mathematics, science subjects, reading, or writing. These
programs focus on helping students catch up with their peers.

ii. Tutoring: One-on-one or small-group sessions where a teacher or tutor

works closely with a student to target weaknesses or build upon
strengths.

iii. Differentiated Instruction: Tailoring lessons to meet the diverse needs

of students in the same classroom. This could involve modifying content,
processes, or learning outcomes to suit different learning styles or
abilities.

iv. Behavioral Interventions: Strategies to improve student behavior or

engagement. Examples include positive reinforcement, behavior
contracts, or social-emotional learning programs.

v. Special Education Services: Support for students with disabilities,

offering individualized education programs (IEPs) to meet specific
learning needs.

vi. Technology-Based Interventions: Utilizing educational software,

online platforms, or digital tools to support learning, including adaptive
learning systems that adjust to a student's level.
vii. Peer-Assisted Learning: Structured programs where students help
each other learn, often through peer tutoring or collaborative learning
activities.

viii.Parental Involvement Programs: Interventions aimed at increasing

parent engagement in a child’s education, such as workshops, meetings,
or activities designed to strengthen home-school connections.

ix. Early Childhood Interventions: Programs for young children (such as

pre-school or early learning) that focus on building foundational skills in
literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development of learners.

x. Culturally Responsive Teaching: An approach that acknowledges and incorporates

students' cultural backgrounds into the learning process to make education more meaningful
and effective.

These interventions are usually data-driven, meaning they are based on

assessments that identify student needs and are often monitored for
effectiveness through continuous evaluation.

The Goal of Interventions

The goal of academic intervention is to ensure student success in mastering
grade-level expectations. Academic interventions are designed to help
students learn specific skills, practice existing skills until fluent, or apply
existing skills to new learning contexts.The main goal of educational
interventions is to remove barriers that hinder learners from accessing
education. These barriers could be be; psychological barriers (negative
attitudes of learners, lack of motivation, lack of interest), physical barriers
such as lack of facilities like classrooms, chairs, desks, instructional
resources (books, teaching aids), those living in extreme difficult
circumstances such as poverty-striken learners (lack basic needs such as
clothes, food, shelter), child mothers, children heading families, refugees,
post election violence victims etc or generally a learning environment that is
not conducive-due to congestion, dilapidated infrastructure), social barriers
such as arrogant teachers, bullying in school,hostile environment that is not
friendly to the learner (lack of a child-friendly school), emotional barriers
which affect the feelings and the affective domain of learner, curriculum and
policy barriers such as having a heavy or overloaded curriculum, educational
and pedagogical barriers which include teaching and learning styles that do
not support learners and other factor that hinders effective learning in a
school.

Needs Assessment

Diagnosis is the first step to identify learning gaps in core areas: oral reading
fluency, reading comprehension, math computational skills, and writing
skills. Commonly used diagnostic tools in literacy include such measures as
learning records of learners. Diagnostic tools in mathematics include
computation error analysis. Which diagnostic tool it is most appropriate to
use depends on the level of need of any particular student.

The Process of Identification

The purpose of identification process is to ensure that students who are

experiencing difficulties in school academically, functionally, or behaviorally
are properly identified and provided with appropriate support services.

The process allows for a consistent and thorough process for staff to follow
in which the multidisciplinary team reviews existing student records,
accumulated information, and additional screenings that may need to be
completed in order to provide an appropriate direction for the student to be
successful in the general education curriculum. This process also provides
documentation of efforts and various strategies tried in the general
education program.
Identification of learner Abilities

A teacher should have the ability to identify the diverse abilities of learners.
Learners exhibit diversity of abilities such as gifted and talented-genius,
average learners and time takers in learning referred to as slow learners. It is
only when a teacher has ability to identify the different abilities that he or
she can be able to develop appropriate interventions for each learner
depending on their need.

While some commonalities exist across giftedness, one size does not fit all.
Gifted learners exhibit different characteristics, traits, and ways to express
their giftedness. Various issues must be considered for identification:

a. Giftedness is dynamic, not static. Identification needs to occur over

time, with multiple opportunities to exhibit gifts. One test at a specific
point in time should not dictate whether someone is identified as gifted.

b. Giftedness is represented through all racial, ethnic, income

levels, and exceptionality groups. Underrepresentation is widely
spread. It’s estimated that African American, Hispanic American, and
Native American students are underrepresented by at least 50% in
programs for the gifted. Giftedness may be exhibited within a specific
interest or category—and even a specific interest within that category.
Professionals must seek ways to gather examples across various domains
and contexts.

c. Early identification in school improves the likelihood that gifts will be

developed into talents.

NB: There is need for a teacher to have ability to identify and offer support
to the time takers in learning (slow learners), because more often that not,
just like gifted and talented learners, they are also forgotten or ignored
because naturally, teachers move with the average learners who are the
majority in every learning environment. Every learner needs to be supported
irrespective of their level of ability hence the importance of knowledge and
need to apply educational interventions.