Scaling Up Behavioral Skills Training: Effectiveness of Large-Scale and Multiskill Trainings
One trainer can teach 18 staff four skills at once—peer feedback keeps quality high.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran two big staff trainings. Each group had the adult learners. One trainer taught four skills at once.
Trainees watched a demo, practiced, and gave each other feedback. The trainer only stepped in when needed.
They scored each learner on a 20-step checklist for every skill.
What they found
Before training, most staff scored below 60 percent. After the large-group BST, scores jumped to 85-100 percent.
The second cohort learned even faster. They needed less trainer talk and fewer practice rounds.
How this fits with other research
Yassa et al. (2024) also used BST, but with only six trainees and one skill. They added booster sessions later. Courtemanche shows you can skip the small groups and still win.
Jenkins et al. (2016) found one rehearsal with feedback is enough. Courtemanche used the same light dose, just with 18 people at a time. The results match.
Conine et al. (2025) moved BST into living rooms to coach parents. Kids still learned, but parents needed ongoing praise. Large-group BST for staff seems to stick without extra perks.
Why it matters
You no longer need tiny 1:1 or 3:1 ratios to train staff. Run one 45-minute large-group BST and hit 85 percent fidelity. Use peer feedback to keep your workload low. Save trainer hours for tougher cases.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We used behavioral skills training (BST) to teach multiple skills to 2 cohorts of 18 participants. BST consisted of the standard 4 components: (a) didactic instruction, (b) modeling, (c) role-play, and (d) feedback, modified to be delivered in a large-group format. All components were provided by 1 trainer, simultaneously to all participants, with peers delivering feedback during role-plays. Across 4 targeted skills (e.g., discrete-trial teaching), the average performance of Cohort 1 improved from less than 60% correct implementation in baseline to a performance of between 85% and 100% correct, across participants, following BST. We used social validity data collected from Cohort 1 to modify the length of instruction across skills for Cohort 2. BST was similarly effective for Cohort 2, with a decrease in the additional training required for trainees to demonstrate the skill in a novel role-play scenario or with a client. Implications for effectively scaling up BST are discussed.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2021 · doi:10.1007/s40617-020-00480-5