Teachers who are in their first couple of years of teaching are vulnerable to leaving the profession at considerably high rates. Teacher retention rates are related to teachers' feelings of self-efficacy. This study examined the effect of the universal preventive intervention, the PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG), on teachers' self-efficacy when delivered as professional development to practicing teachers. PAX GBG has demonstrated an effect on numerous student proximal and distal outcomes when implemented as classroombased prevention. However, the effects on teacher outcomes are less identified and researched as well as the reciprocal nature of teacher and student interactions during the implementation of a PAX GBG intervention. In this quasi-experimental design, practicing teachers reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy after receiving training in PAX GBG suggesting the malleability of self-efficacy. The results were examined within the framework of the transactional model and demonstrate the need to further investigate teacher and student relationships and the related distal student outcomes as a result of increasing teacher self-efficacy.

This study examines the impact of delivering a universal preventive intervention topre-service early childhood teacher educator candidates. Multiple studies list classroom impacts of the PAX Good Behavior Gameon students' proximal and distal outcomes including decreased disruptive behaviors, decreased substance abuse, alcohol dependence, and tobacco use. However, little is known about the impact of PAX GBG on teachers. This randomized control study included a group of teacher candidates who received PAX GBG as part of their teacher education instruction and a control group that received traditional teacher education instruction. The results showed that the PAX group reported significantly higher levels of selfefficacy in all areas after the intervention andalso when compared to the control group.

This study examines the changes in teacher efficacy and interaction effects based on perceived effectiveness and level of implementation for teachers trained in the PAX Good Behavior Game and subsequent PAX Next Steps professional development training as measured by the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale. Previous studies have shown improved outcomes for teachers with the PAX Good Behavior Game including a reduction in teacher stress and improved teacher efficacy among in-service and pre-service teachers. This study found that PAX Next Steps professional development training increased overall teacher efficacy as well as efficacy in instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management for teachers already trained in the PAX Good Behavior Game regardless of their own level of implementation or their perceived effectiveness of the PAX Good Behavior Game program. These outcomes highlight the importance of culturally competent professional development as a key feature in the sustainability of a population-level implementation of any evidence-based program.

No abstract

Abstract