Leveraging Technology to Support Teachers’ Fidelity of Universal Classroom Management Interventions: Lessons Learned and Future Applications

Abstract

The Good Behavior Game (GBG), a universal classroom management intervention, has shown clear benefits in promoting the behavioral, social-emotional, and academic development of students. However, the quality with which this intervention is delivered tends to diminish over time, which decreases the likelihood of these positive outcomes. By leveraging the benefits of technology, we built a sophisticated online platform to support teachers’ fidelity of the GBG in collaboration with expert consultants and education partners. This paper details initial steps to develop and refine GBG Technology (GBG Tech). Three teacher consultants and two experts in technology-enhanced and classroom management interventions provided ongoing feedback as GBG Tech was initially developed through a rapid prototyping approach by a team of high-tech engineers. Twenty-four teachers participated in focus groups to inform subsequent revisions of the technology, and seven teachers tested the feasibility of GBG Tech in their classrooms for 6 weeks. As anticipated, teachers found GBG Tech to be acceptable, understandable, and feasible to use. Moreover, teachers reached fidelity quickly (M = 2.43 weeks), sustained fidelity for 6 weeks, and delivered the GBG at the recommended dosage. The results of this study informed a full version of GBG Tech that is ready for large-scale testing and a set of design principles intended to guide the development of other technology-delivered interventions aimed at sustaining fidelity in authentic classroom settings.