Good Behaviour Game: evaluation report and executive summary

The aim of the Good Behaviour Game (GBG) is to improve pupil behaviour through the implementation of a behaviour management system with the following core elements: classroom rules, team membership, monitoring of behaviour, and positive reinforcement (rewards). It is a universal intervention and is therefore delivered to all children in a given class by their teacher. Over the course of implementation, it is intended that there is a natural progression in terms of the types of rewards given (from tangible rewards such as stickers to more abstract rewards such as free time), how long the game is played for (from 10 minutes to a whole lesson), at what frequency (from three times a week to every day), and when rewards are given (at the end of the game, the end of the day, and the end of the week). Teachers receive two days of initial training, with one day of follow-up training midway through the first year of implementation. On-going support for implementation is provided by trained GBG coaches employed by the delivery organisation, Mentor UK (who were in turn supported by the American Institutes for Research for this trial).

We used a randomised controlled trial design in which 77 schools were randomly allocated to implement the GBG for two years (38 schools) or continue their normal practices (39 schools). The target cohort was pupils in Year 3 (aged 7-8) in the first year of implementation (N=3084). The project was designed as an efficacy trial. Alongside the assessment of outcomes, we undertook a comprehensive mixed- methods implementation and process evaluation involving observations, interviews and focus groups. Delivery started in September 2015 and concluded in July 2017.