International and Cross-Cultural Application of the Good Behavior Game

Disruptive classroom behavior is frequently cited as a critical component in teacher job dissatisfaction and burnout. As corporal punishment is eliminated in many classrooms worldwide, teachers report a perception of increased disruptive classroom behavior that many feel ill equipped to address. Teachers also often report a lack of training in evidence-based behavior management tools that have been studied with international populations and culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse populations. The Good Behavior Game offers teachers a classroom-wide behavior management tool that has been studied both in the United States and abroad with students from diverse backgrounds, primarily in developed countries or large cities within developing countries. This intervention is based on basic and well-tested principles of behavior theory and has a long and defensible history indicating its efficacy across cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic traditions. However, use of this tool in developing countries with few resources and diverse student populations has not been fully investigated. This research investigates the use of the Good Behavior Game in classrooms within a small, Central American town, where corporal punishment has been recently banned, educational resources are limited, and the population is both international and diverse. Results from the current study indicate that the GBG is effective in reducing out of seat, talking out, and tattling across three elementary classrooms in Belize, Central America and represents the first research to do so. Evidence further indicates that teachers were able to implement this intervention with fidelity, and that both teachers and students report high treatment acceptability

An Assessment of Resiliency and Life Satisfaction in High School-Aged Students in Belize

This study assesses resiliency and life satisfaction of high school youth from Belize. Due to the contrast of geography, culture, and economic characteristics, between Belize and the U.S. many differences were hypothesized to be found. Resiliency and life satisfaction were hypothesized (a) to be lower in the youth from Belize when compared with previous studies of youth conducted in the United States, (b) youth in Belize, who have high resilience, will also have high life satisfaction and (c) youth who has low life satisfaction will also have very little resiliency

School Psychologists\u27 Self-Perceptions of Multicultural Competence: The Relevance of Experience and Training

A national survey of 216 school psychologists\u27 perceptions of multicultural competence indicated that multicultural competence significantly increases as a function of hours of training and frequency of experience working with individuals from cultures different from their own. Results are discussed in the context of measurement limitations for multicultural competence and implications for trainers of school psychologists

Real World, Real Challenges: Adolescent Issues in Contemporary Society

Real World, Real Challenges: Adolescent Issues in Contemporary Society provides a comprehensive overview of adolescent psychology. The book uses a problem-based learning format to engage students, facilitate learning and retention, and foster critical thinking skills. The introduction explains how biological, psychological, and social factors have redefined adolescence over the past century. Specific chapters are devoted to issues such as school and dating violence, mood and eating disorders, sexuality, and the impact of technology and social media. Rather than focusing on theory the learning modules of the text use these common, contemporary issues to illustrate important developmental psychology concepts. Many standard texts on the subject matter can be dry and lack focus on topics of interest to today\u27s learners. Real World, Real Challenges uses a fresh, applied approach and encourages readers to confront the real world problems young people face in contemporary society. The book is most appropriate for advanced, undergraduate courses in adolescent psychology or classes that take an applied approach to adolescent development

Preliminary Report: An Application of the Good Behavior Game in the Developing Nation of Belize

Educating children on a global level is a dynamic process where policy, procedure and guideline changes can leave teachers searching for new programs to resolve new challenges. This brief report shows a successful application of the Good Behavior Game in a school in the country of Belize following a significant change in policy regarding acceptable practices in addressing school-based behavioral challenges

The Good Behavior Game: A Classroom-Behavior Intervention Effective Across Cultures

Few classroom behavioral interventions have been thoroughly studied using culturally and linguistically diverse populations, international student populations, or those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Yet, having such tools for school psychologists and teachers is critical for behavior management in the classroom. One important exception is the Good Behavior Game, which has been extensively studied both in the United States and international settings. Because this intervention is based on well-tested principles of behavior theory, it has proven to be a useful tool across cultural, linguistic, socio-economic traditions, with long lasting positive longitudinal behavior change. This article presents a review of the literature on the Good Behavior Game as it applies to international and diverse student populations