Effects of Computer-Simulated Behavior Analysis on Pre-Service Teachers' Problem Solving

Abstract

Undergraduate students ( n = 64) enrolled in an educational psychology course were randomly assigned to groups (computer simulation, extended-instruction, problem solving, and control) to practice behavior management principles related to classroom problems. On the main dependent measure, applied problem-solving, the computer simulation group was the only group to show significantly higher level of performance on the total measure over the control group. For the targeted subskills within the applied measure, the simulation group scored significantly higher than all groups; the extended-instruction group scored significantly higher than the other two groups on the same measure. Measures of knowledge of psychological principles and of self-efficacy beliefs related to behavior management showed no differences among groups.