An Evaluation of Virtual Training for Teaching Dance Instructors to Implement a Behavioral Coaching Package
Virtual BST turns dance teachers into precise coaches who keep the skill a month later.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Davis and colleagues tested virtual BST for dance teachers. Five instructors learned to coach kids using task analysis, data sheets, and behavior-specific praise.
Training happened on Zoom. The team used a multiple-baseline design across teachers. Each session lasted about an hour.
Coaches watched short clips, practiced steps, and got live feedback. The goal was full mastery of the coaching package.
What they found
Every teacher hit mastery after the virtual course. Skills stayed strong one month later. No extra booster sessions were needed.
Teachers used the package with real dance students. They gave clear cues, collected data, and praised correct moves.
How this fits with other research
Erath et al. (2021) got the same result with a 13-minute video. Their staff also reached 100% fidelity. The short clip worked because it still showed all four BST steps.
Davis et al. (2019) warned that single parts of BST fade without the full set. The new study backs them up. Virtual sessions kept every step: instruction, model, practice, feedback.
Clay et al. (2021) used VR headsets and still hit mastery. VR and plain Zoom both work. Pick the tech your agency already owns.
Why it matters
You can train staff without travel costs. One Zoom call gave dance teachers a lasting skill set. Try the same model with tutors, camp staff, or volunteers. Record a short demo, run practice rounds, and give live feedback. Mastery plus maintenance saves you from endless retraining.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Few dance instructors receive formal training on how to teach dance skills using behavioral coaching methods and may employ an authoritarian teaching style that utilizes coercive feedback, which can adversely affect dancers’ experiences. A behavior analytic approach to dance education may provide dance instructors with strategies that increase the accuracy of dance movements and positively affect dancers’ satisfaction with their dance classes. Using a concurrent multiple-baseline design across five dance instructors, we evaluated the outcomes of a virtual training informed by the behavioral skills training framework on dance instructors’ implementation of an introductory behavior analytic coaching package consisting of four strategies: task analyzing, emphasizing correct performance with focus points, assessing performance through data collection, and using behavior-specific feedback. We selected these strategies to provide dance instructors with a solid foundation to behavioral coaching methods. It is promising that all dance instructors who participated in virtual training met mastery criteria and maintained their performance at a 1-month follow-up. Future research may consider exploring virtual adaptations that promote more efficient training methods for teaching dance instructors to implement behavioral coaching methods.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00779-z