Blending Practice-based Professional Development with Mixed-reality Simulation: Improving School Psychologists' Knowledge and Skills

Current research has shown that combining practice-based professional development (PBPD) with mixed-reality simulation (MRS) can significantly enhance the skills and knowledge of school psychologists. This groundbreaking study, conducted by Clemson University's College of Education, aimed to examine the effectiveness of this blended approach in teaching school psychologists how to design, implement, and evaluate functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP). The results indicated that participants' perceived knowledge, confidence, and actual knowledge of FBA-BIP practices significantly increased after undergoing this blended training.

Key Takeaways:

• The study used a one-group pretest-posttest design and qualitative thematic analyses to examine the effectiveness of combining PBPD and MRS in teaching school psychologists.
• The blended training program resulted in significant increases in participants' perceived knowledge, confidence, usefulness, and actual knowledge of FBA-BIP practices.
• Participants provided positive ratings of PBPD and MRS on social validity measures, indicating high satisfaction with the training program.
• Several themes on MRS strengths, benefits, and drawbacks were identified, providing valuable insights for educators and training professionals.
• The study highlights the potential of blended learning environments in professional development, offering a more effective and engaging approach to skills training.

Statistics:

• 24 school psychologists participated in the study, which used a one-group pretest-posttest design.
• Results showed significant increases in participants' perceived knowledge (27%), confidence (31%), usefulness (25%), and actual knowledge (35%) of FBA-BIP practices.
• Participants provided positive ratings of PBPD and MRS on social validity measures, with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Studies from Clemson University Add New Findings in the Area of Education Technology (Blending Practice-based Professional Development With Mixed-reality Simulation: Improving School Psychologists' Perceptions and Knowledge of Fba-based ...). Education Letter. October 15, 2025; p 885.
• Blending Practice-based Professional Development With Mixed-reality Simulation: Improving School Psychologists' Perceptions and Knowledge of FBA-based Interventions. Journal of Special Education Technology, 2025.
• Clemson University. College of Education. (2025). Blending Practice-based Professional Development With Mixed-reality Simulation. Sage Publications Inc.