This study examined the effects of a school principal's application of a behavioral training procedure, referred to as a Principal's Inservice Training Package, on the praise behaviors of all teachers in his school. A secondary purpose was to describe the subsequent changes in the disruptive behaviors and classwork and homework completion of selected students in each teacher's classroom. A multiple baseline design was applied across praise behaviors to demonstrate independence of these target behaviors. By sequentially applying the inservice training package to individual praise behaviors, the controlling effects of the package were shown. With the application of the inservice training package, the average rate of both specific praise and outside circle praise rose. Followup data taken one year later indicated that use of specific praise remained high, while outside circle praise remained higher than baseline. Changes in student behaviors following the introduction of the inservice training package included a decrease in disruptive behavior and an increase in work completion.Many studies have reported the effectiveness of applied behavior analysis procedures in improving both academic and social behavior in schools. However, relatively few of these studies involved the school principal as the behavior change agent. In those which did, the research dealt primarily with single subjects or groups of students. A limited number described how principals changed teacher behavior.Most applied behavior analysis research involving the principal as a change agent demonstrated the principal's direct modification of student behavior. Broden, Hall, Dunlap, and Clark (1970) reported an increase in study behavior and a decrease in disruptive behavior using a principal-applied token system and timeout procedures with children in one special education classroom. In this study a token procedure alone was successful in improving academic performance. However, one student's disruptive behavior was reduced only when a timeout procedure was added to the token system. Copeland, Brown, Axelrod, and Hall (1972) described three studies where the principal modified tardiness in one student, absenteeism in four students, and classroom disruptions of one student. Copeland, Brown, and Hall (1974) reported the positive effects of principal praise on academic achievement in two classrooms. Muller, Hasazi, Pierce, and Hasazi (1975) decreased disruptive lunchroom behavior of an entire school with a principal-mediated point system. Nau, Van Houten,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.