VIDEO-BASED TEACHER TRAINING IN DRUG PREVENTION

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Research-based drug abuse prevention programs are now widely disseminated; however, adopting and implementing a research-based program does not, by itself, guarantee that desired outcomes will be achieved. Research on fidelity of implementation reveals that teachers are not sufficiently well trained in drug abuse prevention theory and practice. As a consequence, they experience difficulties even when implementing otherwise promising prevention programs. If the goals of drug abuse prevention are to be realized, teachers and other service providers need high-quality training. This project will produce a training program for prevention professionals. The goal of this program is to improve the integrity with which a wide variety of research-based prevention programs are implemented. This goal will be achieved through the creation of a high-quality media-enhanced program. Research-based interventions each have unique characteristics; however, most share a common set of underlying concepts and methods. The research team will complete the development of six multimedia programs that address core concepts and methods of drug abuse prevention. They will also develop a manual for guiding the complete implementation of a teacher training course. The course will instruct and motivate teachers to use research-based prevention strategies effectively. As a result of this training, teachers are expected to make significant gains in understanding. Teachers are expected to implement research-based approaches to drug abuse prevention with greater competence and fidelity. The course will be tested in a randomized field trial. Two organizations that specialize in training will deliver the course to 120 teachers; 120 teachers in a comparison condition will receive training-as-usual. The field trial will test the ability of the package to change teachers' knowledge, beliefs and intentions. A sub-study will examine changes in teaching practice.