Behavior that Will Be Addressed
This Single-Subject Design is assigned for participants with specific social difficulties. The statistics demonstrate that “17.5% of pupils in schools in English are identified as having a primary need of support” since they suffer from social or emotional challenges (Cosma & Soni, 2019, p. 1). Many adolescents have mental problems that prevent them from feeling free to interact with unfamiliar people and express their thoughts. Therefore, this Single-Subject Design will involve pupils who fear expressing their opinions, communicating with new people, participating in discussions, and answering the teachers’ questions near the blackboard.
Measuring of Behavior
The participants’ behavior will be measured due to anonymous and non-anonymous surveys. Such tests help form baseline data “establishing a benchmark against which the students’ behavior can be compared when subsequent interventions are introduced” and intervention data (Shepherd & Linn, 2014, p. 232). These surveys will include, for instance, questions:
- How many times a day did you feel uncomfortable because you had to express your opinions?
- How many times a week did you feel fear due to the need to interact with someone (call up, visit the shop or post office, meet with someone)?
- How many times a week did you notice that your hands tremble or sweat because you had to interact with others?
Thus, the baseline data will involve the first students’ answers, and the intervention data will include the results of surveys conducted at the end of each week.
Improving the behavior
The baseline data demonstrates the level of participants’ social problems and identifies the most challenging situations for them. They can be used to determine the direction of treatment. The intervention data will show the current results of the Single-Subject Design and help find the gaps in the treatment. It will be possible to develop students’ social skills and “promote a positive behavior, through the recognition of facial expressions, comprehension of social relations, and learning appropriate greeting responses” (Baragash et al., 2019, p. 3). Thus, these data will contribute to the improvement of participants’ skills and fight against their fears.
References
Baragash, R., Al-Samarraie, H., Alzahrani A., & Alfarraj, O. (2019). Augmented reality in special education: A meta-analysis of single-subject design studies. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 35(2) 1-16.
Cosma, P., & Soni, A. (2019). A systematic literature review exploring the factors identified by children and young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties as influential on their experiences of education. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 24(5) 1-15.
Shepherd, T. L., & Linn, D. (2014). Behavior and classroom management in the multicultural classroom: Proactive, active, and reactive strategies. SAGE Publications.