Describing Teacher–Student Interactions: A Qualitative Assessment of Teacher Implementation of the 7th Grade keepin' it REAL Substance Use Intervention. Issue 1 (28th June 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pettigrew, Jonathan; Miller-Day, Michelle; Shin, YoungJu; Hecht, Michael L.; Krieger, Janice L.; Graham, John W.
• Is Part Of: American journal of community psychology. Volume 51:Issue 1/2(2013)
• Page Start: 289
• Page End: 298
• Publication Date: 2012-06-28
• Subjects: Implementation -- Delivery -- Substance use prevention -- Adolescent health; Community psychology -- Periodicals; Community mental health services -- Periodicals; Community psychiatry -- Periodicals; Community Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Community Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1007/s10464-012-9539-1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-0562

Abstract

Abstract: Variations in the delivery of school‐based substance use prevention curricula affect students' acquisition of the lesson content and program outcomes. Although adaptation is sometimes viewed as a lack of fidelity, it is unclear what types of variations actually occur in the classroom. This observational study investigated teacher and student behaviors during implementation of a middle school‐based drug prevention curriculum in 25 schools across two Midwestern states. Trained observers coded videos of 276 lessons, reflecting a total of 31 predominantly Caucasian teachers (10 males and 21 females) in 73 different classes. Employing qualitative coding procedures, the study provides a working typology of implementation patterns based on varying levels of teacher control and student participation. These patterns are fairly consistent across lessons and across classes of students, suggesting a teacher‐driven delivery model where teachers create a set of constraints within which students vary their engagement. Findings provide a descriptive basis grounded in observation of classroom implementation that can be used to test models of implementation fidelity and quality as well as impact training and other dissemination research.