Expanding the pyramidal staff training approach

Ólafsdóttir et al. (2026) tested a train-the-trainer plan. First, a small group of staff learned FCT through Behavioral Skills Training. Then they taught the same skill to co-workers.

The team used a multiple-baseline design across participants. They tracked how well the new trainers taught FCT and how accurate the second wave of staff remained later.

Pyramidal BST worked. Staff who received the first round of training taught FCT to peers with about 84 % accuracy.

Skill dipped a few months later, but a quick booster put accuracy back up. The model let one expert train many staff without daily hand-holding.

McGonigle et al. (1982) ran the first big pyramidal study. They gave supervisors daily feedback, and 45 staff improved. Ólafsdóttir et al. removed the daily feedback layer and still hit solid fidelity, showing the model can run with lighter oversight.

Yassa et al. (2024) also taught FCT with BST, but they trained each staff member directly. Both papers found the same fade-out pattern, and both fixed it with booster sessions. The new study adds the pyramidal twist, proving the train-the-trainer route is just as good.

Mery et al. (2022) used the same pyramidal setup to teach safe infant sleep. Together, these studies show the approach works across very different skills.

You no longer need to train every staff member yourself. Train a few champions in FCT, let them train the rest, and schedule brief refreshers. You save time, keep quality above 80 %, and can scale across classrooms or homes without burning out your senior staff.