Abstract
Effective classroom management skills are critical in supporting students’ academic, social, and behavior development in schools. However, teachers often report support with classroom management as their greatest need. Given this concern, effective and efficient strategies are needed for teachers and school staff dealing with classwide behavioral difficulties. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the Good Behavior Game utilizing ClassDojo on classwide academically engaged and disruptive behavior. A withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on the behavior of students in four seventh and eighth grade classrooms. Measures of teacher perception of social validity and student perception of acceptability were also obtained. Overall, results indicated the intervention procedures were effective at increasing student academic engagement across four secondary classrooms, were considered socially valid by participating teachers, and were acceptable to secondary students.
Impact Statement
Few studies have evaluated class wide interventions in secondary settings, despite a clear need for such supports. The current study found the Good Behavior Game to be effective when implemented with ClassDojo, with procedures found to be socially valid by teachers and students.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
DISCLOSURE
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
W. Blake Ford
W. Blake Ford, PhD, is a psychologist at Children’s of Alabama. He completed his doctoral training at the University of Southern Mississippi. His research and practice interests center on classwide interventions and behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Keith C. Radley
Keith C. Radley, PhD, BCBA-D, NCSP, is an associate professor and director of training in the school psychology program at the University of Utah. His research interests include interventions for individuals with developmental disabilities, behavioral analytic interventions within school settings, and data collection and visual analysis within single case design.
Daniel H. Tingstrom
Daniel H. Tingstrom, PhD, is a professor emeritus in the school psychology program at the University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include applied behavior analysis, compliance training procedures for parents and teachers, and the implementation and evaluation of individual and classroom-based behavioral interventions.
Evan H. Dart
Evan H. Dart, PhD, BCBA-D, is an associate professor in the school psychology program at the University of South Florida. He holds a doctorate in school psychology with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from Louisiana State University. His research interests include peer-mediated behavior interventions, group behavior assessment, strategies to promote treatment fidelity, and the display and visual analysis of single case data.
Brad Dufrene
Dr. Brad Dufrene is a professor in the school psychology program at the University of Southern Mississippi. He received his Ph.D. in school psychology from Mississippi State University and completed a predoctoral internship in pediatric psychology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.