The Effect of Training on Functional Behavioural Analysis on Teacher Self-Efficacy Among Special Education Teachers in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Dealing with challenging behaviour is a source of stress and burnout among teachers of children with special education needs. Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) is useful for prevention and management of challenging behaviour, but the evidence-base among special education teachers is limited in Sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty teachers were recruited from two special needs schools (10 from each school), with one school designated ‘intervention’ and the other ‘control’. Two sessions of group-based training on FBA were conducted in the intervention school for the 10 teachers. All participants completed the ‘Teacher Self Efficacy Scale’ and ‘Professional Quality of Life Scale’ at baseline and again two weeks after the last intervention session. The intervention group completed a post-intervention ‘Client Satisfaction Questionnaire’. Controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group scored significantly higher on Self-Efficacy [F (1,18)=8.95, p=0.009, partial eta squared=0.36], and lower on Burnout [F (1,17) = 9.82, p=0.006, partial eta squared=0.380]. The intervention group’s mean score on the Burnout subscale of PQOLS was more than one standard deviation lower than the control group after the intervention [(29.30(2.58) vs 34.11(4.01)]. All participants in the intervention group rated the programme as good or excellent and over three-quarters (77.7%) would recommend it to their peers. To our knowledge, this is the first study of FBA training for special education teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme showed promising effectiveness, good feasibility and was highly accepted.