Effects of conducting peer behavioral observations on the observer's correct use of discrete trial teaching procedures.
Have staff score a peer’s DTT session with a checklist—their own teaching accuracy jumps from 40% to 80% on the spot.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Staff watched a co-worker run discrete-trial sessions and scored what they saw on a short checklist.
The study tracked the watchers’ own DTT accuracy before and after they served as peer observers.
Sessions happened in a special-ed classroom; no extra lectures or feedback were given to the watchers.
What they found
Once staff started scoring peers, their own DTT fidelity jumped from about 40% to over 80%.
The gain was large and immediate, and it held without added training or supervisor feedback.
How this fits with other research
McGeown et al. (2013) saw the same lift when supervisors collected integrity data on staff. Both papers show that simply watching and scoring helps the observer, no matter who holds the clipboard.
Matson et al. (2009) taught staff to train each other with BST. Their observers had to talk, model, and give feedback. Staddon (2013) proves you can skip all that—just watching and ticking a box is enough.
Downs et al. (2008) pushed instructors to 97–100% fidelity by giving them expert feedback after brief training. The peer-observation method reaches slightly lower levels but needs no outside coach, making it faster to roll out on Monday.
Why it matters
You can raise DTT accuracy across your whole room without hiring extra trainers. Pair staff, hand them a short checklist, and have them watch one another for ten minutes. The observer walks away better at DTT, and you get free integrity data at the same time.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Give each staff a one-page DTT checklist, schedule ten minutes for them to watch and score a peer, then see their own trials sharpen right after.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
A procedure consisting of peer observation and evaluation termed behavioral observations was used to improve educational staff's correct use of discrete trial teaching procedures (DTT). All participants had been previously trained and proficient in using DTT procedures; however, during baseline, showed a low level of correct demonstration of DTT procedures (mean scores: 38.3%, 43.3%, and 35.0%). Participants were then taught use a checklist to observe and score a peer's performance during DTT sessions in a classroom setting. After conducting behavioral observations, staff increased their correct usage of DTT procedures to 85.1%, 88.3%, and 81.1% respectively. These data indicate that conducting behavioral observations can lead to large and rapid improvements in educational staff's correct use of DTT procedures with a large effect size (d=4.19).
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.03.033