Peer Mastery in Addition to Direct Instruction Post-Stroke: A Single-Subject Design

ABSTRACT

Objective. Observational learning has been suggested as a potential strategy for improving task performance and self-efficacy with stroke survivors. The present study explored the effectiveness of the use of peer mastery in addition to verbal instructions, to improve the task performance and self-efficacy, of a stroke survivor learning to exit a car. Method. A single-subject A-B-C design including a baseline observation phase (A) followed by two subsequent intervention phases, direct instruction (B) and peer mastery modeling (C), was used. Outcome measures, guided by Zimmerman's self-regulation of learning model, were obtained for task performance, perceived task performance, self-satisfaction, and self-efficacy. Results. While no improvement in task performance followed either intervention, improvements in perceived task performance, self-satisfaction, and self-efficacy were found following direct instruction. Peer mastery significantly strengthened the participant's self-efficacy. Conclusion. Perceived performance and self-satisfaction may be important factors to consider when investigating self-efficacy. Further investigations are needed to study the influence of these self-regulatory processes on task performance with stroke survivors.

KEYWORDS. :

• Stroke
• video
• occupational therapy
• self-regulation of learning
• self-efficacy
• task performance
• single-subject design
• direct instruction
• perceived task performance