Observational Learning of Academic and Social Behaviors During Small-Group Direct Instruction

Many studies have shown that small-group direct instruction is effective and efficient for teaching students with and without disabilities, although relatively few studies have been conducted with heterogeneous groups of preschool participants. In addition, previous studies have primarily assessed whether observational learning occurred for academic behaviors directly taught to peers. In this study, we assessed target and observational learning of both academic and sharing behaviors. Results show that children with and without disabilities learned all of their own target academic behaviors and at least some of their peers’ target academic behaviors, that children without disabilities learned to share by observing their typically developing peers do so, and that most participants generalized sharing to contexts similar to classroom activities.