Research Cluster

Interteaching and Student Discussion Methods

This cluster looks at interteaching, a fun way to run class by letting students talk and ask questions instead of just listening to long talks. Studies show kids do better on quizzes when they chat with classmates and only get short, clear hints from the teacher. It works in person and online, so teachers can pick the best mix of talk time and tiny lectures. A BCBA can use these tricks to help students stay excited, learn faster, and remember more every day.

11articles
2002–2026year range
5key findings
Key Findings

What 11 articles tell us

  1. Interteaching consistently outperforms traditional lecture for student quiz and exam scores in college behavior analysis courses.
  2. The peer discussion component is the most active ingredient in interteaching — removing it significantly reduces the benefit.
  3. Interteaching produces larger quiz score gains over discussion forums in asynchronous online ABA graduate courses.
  4. Preparation guides and pop quizzes produce equivalent test performance, suggesting the guide format is a valid and preferred alternative.
  5. Short clarifying lectures added to interteaching boost overall course scores even when exam differences are small.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from BCBAs and RBTs

Interteaching is a structured behavioral teaching method where students use a preparation guide to study before class, then discuss the material in pairs during class, and note what they are still confused about. The instructor uses those confusion notes to deliver a short targeted lecture. Regular discussions are usually unstructured and not tied to a preparation requirement.

Yes. Studies in asynchronous online ABA graduate courses show that interteaching produces quiz score gains over standard discussion forums. You can adapt it online using recorded video responses, live video pairs, or structured written exchanges between partners.

Research shows that peer discussion is the most active ingredient. Studies that removed the discussion component and kept only the prep guide saw smaller gains. The lecture is helpful when it targets specific confusion rather than covering everything, but discussion is where the real learning happens.

Yes. Create a short prep guide with questions about the concepts you want to cover, have the trainee or supervisee discuss them with a partner or with you before you explain, then address what came up in the discussion. This active format produces better retention than presenting information and asking for questions at the end.

Research suggests this does not improve test performance. Studies found that quality points for prep sheets did not boost exam scores. Focus your energy on making the discussion and clarifying lecture as targeted as possible rather than incentivizing prep quality through additional grades.