Decreasing Disruptive Classroom Behavior Using the Good Behavior Game in a Second-Grade Classroom

Date of Award

Spring 5-14-2021

Document Type

Project (696 or 796 registration)

Degree Name

Master of Science in School Psychology

Department

Graduate Studies

Committee Chair

Dr. Margaret Potter

Keywords

The Good Behavior Game, Group Contingencies, Classroom Management

Abstract

The Good Behavior Game (GBG; Barrish et al., 1969; Bowman-Perrot et al., 2016). is a universal classroom management strategy that uses interdependent group-oriented contingencies to reduce disruptive behaviors and promote positive classroom behaviors. This project examined the effects of the Good Behavior Game in combination with positive reinforcement on decreasing talking out of turn, talking to neighbors, and not following directions in accordance with the classroom rules in a second-grade general education classroom. The classroom teacher split the class into 4 equal teams that rotated each week of the intervention. Students were instructed on the rules of the game and that they must be the team with the least number of behavioral disruptions in order to win the daily prize. At the end of the week, the team(s) with the least amount of behavioral disruptions earned a weekly prize. Frequency counts were used to collect data on students’ disruptive behaviors and were completed by the classroom teacher as part of the daily game. The intervention was found to be successful in decreasing disruptive classroom behaviors and demonstrated how class-wide interventions can be implemented in general education classrooms with little interference with classroom instruction time.

Abstract only: No full text available.

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