Effectively Implementing the Good Behavior Game in Schools: A Scoping Review of Multilevel Implementation Factors

Background and Purpose

In recent years, the need for mental health services and academic support in schools has become higher than it has been in decades, and rates are even higher among marginalized populations. Public schools often serve as a first and primary way in which at-risk students receive prevention and treatment intervention services. Recognizing the importance and implications of providing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to students in schools, significant federal funding and attention has been given to address mental health needs, school violence, academic outcomes, and more. However, issues with implementation and dissemination of EBIs in schools have shifted attention from efficacy studies to implementation and dissemination research. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an example of a school-based EBI with decades of longitudinal data supporting its efficacy among at-risk populations. Drawing from the multilevel implementation quality framework, the purpose of this scoping review is twofold: 1) to identify and explore multilevel (macro, school, and individual) factors related to the implementation of the GBG and 2) to offer the results of the review as an example to draw attention to various multilevel implementation factors that may need exploration when implementing EBIs in schools.

Method

A computerized search through education databases (Education Source, ERIC, and PsycINFO) was conducted using the following keyword search terms: “GBG” or “Good Behavior Game” in all text. The initial search yielded 975 articles. The following inclusion criteria were utilized: articles had to have 1) been a qualitative or quantitative study; 2) specifically involved the collection of a multilevel implementation factor; 3) been published before March of 2024; and 4) been published in a peer-reviewed journal article. Twenty-one studies met final inclusion criteria.

Results

All included studies reported on individual-level factors, most of which were collecting data from teachers. Studies investigating teacher factors were related to intervention adoption and fidelity, including teacher well-being, perceptions, training, adherence and dosage. Some studies also reported on the impact of the intervention on teacher retention. In addition to teacher-level factors, two studies reported on the impact of student-level factors. One study investigated the adaptation of the intervention with student-led implementation of the GBG. The other study examined the impact of peers’ disruptive behavior.

Conclusions and Implications

The findings of this scoping review offer a first step into understanding how multilevel factors impact the implementation of the GBG, and previous findings from the literature related to teacher-level factors are supported. Of interest, school-level factors were absent in this review. Despite significant attention offered in the literature related to the impact of school-level factors (such as decision structure, resources, personnel expertise, administrative leadership, school culture and climate, and school characteristics), no studies included in this review examined these factors. As increased urgency is necessarily given to multilevel factors that impact the implementation of EBIs in schools with at-risk students, researchers should focus on school- and macro-level variables to inform successful uptake of EBIs in schools.