An evaluation of using the teach-back method for training teachers how to implement the Good Behavior Game

Abstract

Supervisors often fail to implement evidence-based training procedures (e.g., Behavioral Skills Training) and instead rely on ineffective and less acceptable methods (DiGennaro Reed & Henley, 2015), which can impact client outcomes. One reported barrier is the lack of time and resources. A more time- and resource-efficient alternative is teach-back, which has been validated in the healthcare setting for enhancing communication between patients and clinicians. Sleiman et al. (2023) evaluated the use of teach-back to train college students in new skills in a laboratory setting, resulting in a 100% increase in procedural integrity when coupled with vocal-verbal feedback. Building upon Sleiman et al. (2023), our study aims to replicate and extend their findings by evaluating teach-back in an applied setting to train teachers in implementing the empirically validated behavior management procedure, the Good Behavior Game (GBG). We utilized a concurrent multiple baseline design to assess the effects of teach-back on teachers' procedural integrity when implementing the GBG with their students. Participants who did not achieve 100% integrity after training received vocal-verbal feedback. We recruited four teachers from two elementary schools in Iceland to participate in our study. All participants demonstrated an increase in integrity after the teach-back sessions. Half of the participants reached 100% integrity with teach-back alone, while the other half required feedback and did not reach 100% integrity. On average, the training duration lasted just over 31 minutes. We discuss the implications of our study and suggest future research directions.Keywords: Teach-Back, the Good Behavior Game, training