This article reports on a study aimed at determining if students’ knowledge of problem-solving skills could be improved through the implementation of a social problem-solving curriculum, based on a cognitive-behavioral approach.
Using a pre-post randomized controlled trial, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a social problem-solving curriculum, Take CHARGE!, based on a cognitive-behavioral approach, could improve students’ knowledge of problem-solving skills, as well as self-report of social behaviors for 92 middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in 11 self-contained classrooms. Dependent variables included student-report measures of problem-solving knowledge and skills. Findings indicated that the Take CHARGE! curriculum was related to significant increases in students’ social skills knowledge and problem-solving skills for middle school students with EBD. Teachers were able to implement the curriculum with a high degree of fidelity, and they indicated that they would like to continue using it in the future. Implications for practicing teachers support the use of role-plays, think-alouds, and explicit instruction in problem-solving steps. Future research methodologies including observational research and longitudinal exploration are discussed. Publisher Abstract Provided