The Generalization of Treatment Gains of Mildly Handicapped Adolescents from Special Education to Regular Education Classrooms Using Peer-Mediated Self-Management Procedures

• Main Author: Smith, Deborah J.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 1988
• Subjects: Generalization of treatment gains; mildly handicapped adolescents; Special Education; Regular Education Classrooms; Peer-Mediated; Self-Management; Special Education and Teaching
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4179; http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5199&context=etd

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a self-evaluation procedure paired with a token economy would be effective in reducing the off-task and talk-out behavior of behaviorally disordered and learning disabled high school students in a resource classroom. The study also examined the effects of the seIf-evaluation procedures when monitored by regular education peers on target students' behavior in their regular education English class. In addition to improving classroom behavior, another purpose of the study was to examine the effective ness of the self-evaluation procedures when paired with an academic goal-setting component on academic variables in both the resource and regular education classrooms. The results revealed that student behavior generally improved after self-evaluation procedures were taught in the resource room and that improved behavior generalized to the regular class once peers implemented the matching component of the self-management procedures. As a group, students' average rate of off-task behavior decreased 17% in the resource room and 35% in the regular class. Averages rates of talk-outs for the group were reduced by 6% in the resource room and 24% in the regular class. Gains in academic performance were observed in both the special and regular classrooms. An increase in the number of assignments completed was observed following the implementation of the self-management procedures across all subjects in the special education class, as was an increase in the overall percentage of those assignments that were correct. Similarly, the percent complete on assignments in the regular class increased on the average 20% while the percent correct increased 24% following the implementation of the matching procedures.