Positive behavior support in school - a quasi-experimental mixed methods study and a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• School Climate Research
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Positive school climate is crucial for student well-being and mental health.
• School personnel face challenges in fostering nurturing school environments.
• School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) shows promise but needs more research in European contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of SW-PBIS on students' social-emotional skills and academic achievement.
• To assess teachers' and students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment post-intervention.
• To evaluate the mediating or moderating role of school-level factors and qualitatively examine implementation dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Data collection from intervention and control schools at multiple time points across two recruitment waves (active and wait-list control groups).
• Hierarchical regression analyses to determine SW-PBIS effects on study outcomes.
• Ethno-methodological approach for qualitative examination of implementation processes and interactions.

Main Results:

• (Study ongoing; results pending) Expected to demonstrate SW-PBIS impact on student social-emotional skills and academic achievement.
• (Study ongoing; results pending) Anticipated to reveal how school-level factors influence intervention outcomes.
• (Study ongoing; results pending) Qualitative data will illuminate implementation dynamics and contextual factors.

Conclusions:

• The study will contribute valuable knowledge on SW-PBIS effectiveness within a European context.
• Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods offers a comprehensive understanding of school context significance.
• The use of two recruitment waves addresses challenges in maintaining control groups over extended implementation periods.