Positive behavior support in physical education: A case from a pre-service field experience

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the behavior effects of positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) in a pre-service physical education field experience. PBIS, a way of managing and improving student behavior, has a history of success in classrooms, but little research has been done on its use in physical education. Teacher candidates in elementary education taught physical education to fifty-four students aged 4-10 who came to the university campus from a local day care center. Behavior marks were taken before and after the PBIS intervention was implemented. Procedural integrity was scored at 93%, and inter-rater reliability was 100%. We found significant differences in students' total behavior marks before and after receiving instruction with PBIS. Significant differences were found for three of the five rules. This study supports previous research showing leveled supports such as behavior contracts, social stories, and visual prompts are successful management strategies in physical education.