Journal of Education and Human Development

Teaching Teachers the Five Principles of Behavior Reinforcement: Changing Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom
Francie Murry, Ph.D.

Abstract
This study examined teachers’ use of the five principles of behavior reinforcement. Thirty-four elementary level teachers, in their second year of teaching, completed a pre-course survey regarding their level of confidence when working with challenging student behaviors. They also addressed their self-perceived abilities to make behavior changes for students with challenging behaviors, their ease of data collection for identifying baseline and post data, and capacity for fidelity of interventions on targeted student behaviors. All teachers enrolled in a 15-week class on behavior management that focused on the use of the five principles for behavior reinforcement. The course project was a functional behavioral intervention involving a challenging behavior targeted for behavior change reinforcement through the implementation of the five principles. Teachers completed the post survey after finishing the course project. The results of a pairedsamples t-test identified significant statistical difference from pre to post survey regarding the teachers’ selfperceived use of five principles for the change of challenging student behavior.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v4n4a21