Uss, ég er að vinna! : áhrif einstaklingsmiðaðra stuðningsáætlana á námsástundun grunnskólanemenda með hegðunarerfiðleika

Rannsökuð voru áhrif einstaklingsmiðaðra stuðningsáætlana með stighækkandi viðmiðum um frammistöðu á námsástundun grunnskólanemenda með hegðunarerfiðleika. Þátttakendur voru fjórir drengir á aldrinum sjö til átta ára sem höfðu sýnt hegðunarerfiðleika í fimm til sjö ár þrátt fyrir ýmis úrræði. Þrír þátttakenda voru greindir með ADHD, tveir með mótþróaþrjóskuröskun, einn með ódæmigerða einhverfu og einn með almenna kvíðaröskun og Tourette heilkenni. Virknimat fólst í viðtölum og beinum athugunum til að finna út hvað hefði áhrif á hegðunarerfiðleika þátttakendanna. Einstaklingsmiðaðar stuðningsáætlanir voru útbúnar með hliðsjón af niðurstöðum virknimats og fólu í sér úrræði sem beindust að bakgrunnsáhrifa- völdum, breytingum á aðdraganda, þjálfun í viðeigandi hegðun og hvatningarkerfi. Kennarar fylgdu áætlununum eftir undir handleiðslu sérkennara og sérfræðings í atferlisíhlutun. Fjórar til sjö útgáfur af hvatningarkerfi með stighækkandi við miðum um frammistöðu voru notaðar í sex til þrettán vikur til að auka sjálfstæða námsástundun þátttakenda samhliða því að dregið var úr umfangi íhlutunar. Námsástundun þátttakenda var metin með endurteknum áhorfsmælingum í námsaðstæðum sem höfðu reynst þeim erfiðar. Einliðasnið með margföldu grunnskeiðssniði milli þátttakenda sýndi að námsástundun jókst hjá öllum þátttakendum þegar stuðningsáætlun byggð á virknimati var notuð. Að meðaltali jókst námsástundun um 53,4%, eða úr 55,9% í 85,8%. Aðlagaðar áhrifsstærðir reyndust d=1,37 að meðaltali en það endurspeglar mikil áhrif stuðningsáætlananna á námsástundun þátttakendanna. Í mælingum tveimur til fjórum vikum eftir að notkun hvatningarkerfa lauk mældist námsástundun þátttakenda 50 til 89,4% eða 75% að meðaltali. Niðurstöður eru í samræmi við fyrri rannsóknir og benda til þess að hægt sé að auka sjálfstæða námsástundun nemenda með stuðningsáætlunum sem byggjast á virknimati og viðhalda bættri færni með því að draga smám saman úr umfangi íhlutunar.This article reports findings from a study on the effects of increasingly demanding versions of function-based behavior intervention plans (BIPs) on the academic engagement of students with a long history of behavior problems. Previously, findings from the same study on the effects of function-based BIPs on problem behaviors have been reported (Guðrún Björg Ragnarsdóttir and Anna-Lind Pétursdóttir, 2012). Participants were four male students from two schools in Iceland’s capital, where school-wide positive behavior support was being implemented. The participants were 7 to 8 years old and had reportedly exhibited behavior problems for 5 to 7 years. In addition, they all showed lack of academic engagement in their second or third grade general education classrooms. Three participants were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, two with oppositional defiant disorder, one with autism spectrum disorder and one with generalized anxiety disorder and Tourette syndrome. Various kinds of support from their teachers, including assistance from a special education teacher, had proved unsuccessful. Thus, functional assessments were conducted through interviews and direct observations to detect variables influencing participants’ problem behaviors and lack of academic engagement. Based on the results of the functional assessments, BIPs were created for each participant through a team-based approach involving their general education teachers, a special education teacher and a behavioral consultant. Each BIP comprised four components: setting event modifications; antecedent interventions; training in alternative skills; and differential reinforcement of academic engagement. Differential reinforcement was conducted with an individualized token system involving frequent praise for appropriate behavior and withholding of reinforcement in the case of disruptive behaviors despite warnings. Four to seven versions of token systems were implemented for each participant to increase academic engagement through gradually more challenging demands over 6 to 13 weeks. Direct observations were used to assess participants’ academic engagement in those general education settings rated most challenging by their teachers. Single subject reversal designs with multiple baselines over participants showed that participants’ academic engagement increased when function-based BIPs were implemented. On average, the duration of academic engagement increased from 55.9% of 20-minute observation periods during baseline to 85.8% during intervention phases, which is an increase of 53.4%. Also, variability of academic engagement decreased. Adjusted effect sizes were calculated from means of the last three measures of baseline and intervention phases using Rosenthal´s (1994) formula, taking into account the autocorrelation between repeated measures, making it comparable to Cohen’s d (Riley-Tillman & Burns, 2009). Adjusted effect sizes of the functionbased BIPs on participants’ academic engagement ranged from d=0.89 to d=2.35, which are considered large effects (Cohen, 1988). Two to four weeks after the token systems had been faded out, participants’ academic engagement ranged from 50% to 89.4% and averaged 75% in previously challenging general education settings. Findings indicate that function-based BIPs can help students with persistent behavior problems increase their academic engagement in general education settings. The findings are in agreement with previous research showing positive effects of function-based BIPs but extend the current literature base to show positive effects of increasingly demanding versions of BIPs and that students continue to show high levels of academic engagement after token systems have been systematically faded. Despite encouraging results, this study is not without limitations. For example, the small number and limited age range of participants restricts the external generalizability of the findings. Thus, direct and systematic replication of the study is needed. Also, further research is needed to explore the long-term robustness of the observed improvements in academic engagement