Date of Award

4-1981

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Jack L. Michael

Second Advisor

Dr. Neil Kent

Third Advisor

Dr. Norman Peterson

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate a training package which facilitates instructional skills of special education teachers in a practical, cost-efficient manner. After pretraining sessions of staggered baseline lengths, each teacher received sample program forms with written instructions and concise training on usage. As session performance stabilized, three teachers were taught specific performance feedback competencies and began giving verbal feedback during four other teachers' instructional sessions in a multiple-baseline across behaviors design. In addition to instructional competencies,generalization and maintenance effects were also assessed. Results indicate: 1) general training and program materials improved the instructional performance of teachers; 2) feedback given by teachers trained on observation-feedback techniques further improved the teaching performance of recipients; 3) observation-feedback training and duties beneficially affected the instructional s k ills of participating teachers; and 4) the teachers learned and maintained generalized instructional skills effective with a variety of students, procedures, and target behaviors.

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