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Promoting Teachers’ Implementation of Classroom-Based Prevention Programming Through Coaching: The Mediating Role of the Coach–Teacher Relationship

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Abstract

There is growing awareness of the importance of implementation fidelity and the supports, such as coaching, to optimize it. This study examined how coaching activities (i.e., check-ins, needs assessment, modeling, and technical assistance) related directly and indirectly to implementation dosage and quality of the PAX Good Behavior Game, via a mediating pathway through working relationship. Mediation analyses of 138 teachers revealed direct effects of modeling and working relationship on implementation dosage, whereas needs assessment was associated with greater dosage indirectly, by higher ratings of the working relationship. Understanding how coaching activities promote implementation fidelity elements has implications for improving program effectiveness.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Celene Domitrovich and Kimberly Becker for their contributions to the collection of these data.

Funding

This work was funded in part by grants from the Institute of Education Sciences awarded to Catherine Bradshaw (R305A130701 and R305A150221) and Nicholas Ialongo (R305A080326), and the National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH019545-23) awarded to Philip Leaf.

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Correspondence to Stacy R. Johnson.

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Johnson, S.R., Pas, E.T., Bradshaw, C.P. et al. Promoting Teachers’ Implementation of Classroom-Based Prevention Programming Through Coaching: The Mediating Role of the Coach–Teacher Relationship. Adm Policy Ment Health 45, 404–416 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0832-z

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