Date of Award
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
School of Education
First Advisor
Dr. Kimberly Dean
Second Advisor
Dr. Peggy Hickman
Third Advisor
Dr. Bruce Tinor
Abstract
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) is a research-based approach that improves student engagement, behavior, and school culture, primarily in elementary schools, but is growing in secondary schools. Secondary teachers often resist SW-PBIS due to perceptions that it’s meant for younger students and the belief that high schoolers should already know socially appropriate behavior. One significant barrier to its implementation is the lack of time and space for effective teacher training at the secondary level (Estrapala et al., 2021; Swain-Bradway et al., 2015). Behavior skills training (BST), derived from applied behavior analysis, has proven effective in training educators to improve classroom management (Leaf et al., 2015). This study evaluated BST’s effectiveness in teaching secondary math teachers two strategies: review and implementation of classroom expectations and delivering behavior-specific praise. A single-subject A-B-C design was used with four participants. After baseline was collected, a training occurred with two post-training phases and the second phase included feedback. Results showed that three out of four teachers increased their implementation of classroom expectations and behavior-specific praise. These improvements were sustained after feedback was provided. A social validity measure indicated that all participants found the training effective and manageable. The study highlights the need for better training models for secondary teachers and suggests future research should explore the connection between classroom management and student math achievement. The findings emphasize the importance of extending evidence-based practices like SW-PBIS to secondary education, with a focus on training that includes feedback.
Recommended Citation
Jouflas, Molly E.; Dean, Kimberly Dr.; and Hickman, Peggy Dr., "The Impact of Behavior Skills Training on Secondary Math Teachers’ Use of Evidence Based Classroom Management Strategies" (2025). Capstone Showcase. 1.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2025/is/1
Included in
Secondary Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
The Impact of Behavior Skills Training on Secondary Math Teachers’ Use of Evidence Based Classroom Management Strategies
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) is a research-based approach that improves student engagement, behavior, and school culture, primarily in elementary schools, but is growing in secondary schools. Secondary teachers often resist SW-PBIS due to perceptions that it’s meant for younger students and the belief that high schoolers should already know socially appropriate behavior. One significant barrier to its implementation is the lack of time and space for effective teacher training at the secondary level (Estrapala et al., 2021; Swain-Bradway et al., 2015). Behavior skills training (BST), derived from applied behavior analysis, has proven effective in training educators to improve classroom management (Leaf et al., 2015). This study evaluated BST’s effectiveness in teaching secondary math teachers two strategies: review and implementation of classroom expectations and delivering behavior-specific praise. A single-subject A-B-C design was used with four participants. After baseline was collected, a training occurred with two post-training phases and the second phase included feedback. Results showed that three out of four teachers increased their implementation of classroom expectations and behavior-specific praise. These improvements were sustained after feedback was provided. A social validity measure indicated that all participants found the training effective and manageable. The study highlights the need for better training models for secondary teachers and suggests future research should explore the connection between classroom management and student math achievement. The findings emphasize the importance of extending evidence-based practices like SW-PBIS to secondary education, with a focus on training that includes feedback.