Chai Chats: An Online Teacher-Training Program of Observation and Social Connectedness Evaluated via Contribution Analysis

This paper evaluates an international, online, content skills-based teacher education program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The evaluation was designed using a RUFDATA framework (Saunders, 2000) to facilitate a complete, reflective assessment of the target program. Establishing causes-and-effects of the program's performance and data analysis involved adoption of a Contribution Analysis (Mayne, 2001; Mayne, 2008). Utilizing the six steps detailed in Mayne (2012), a credible contribution story emerged, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of transitioning teacher-training programs to virtual platforms. This evaluation has implications for teachers, teacher trainers, professionals planning similar programs particularly in developing regions, and individuals interested in how theory can be applied practically to impact continued teacher education processes. This paper contributes to knowledge as there are few formal evaluations of online international teacher education programs that facilitate observation of all aspects of a virtual course over an extended period of time and provide small-group engagement with course creators, especially with populations straddling the digital divide. It is also the first to conduct a theory-based evaluation of a U.S. English Language Specialist project despite the program's 1991 inception and current running rate of 150-200 projects annually worldwide (U.S. Department of State, 2021).