Fieldwork Learning Opportunities for Trainees in Behavior Analysis: A Survey of Current Practices

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

4-19-2024

Department

Counselor Education and Human Services

Abstract

Individuals seeking certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®™) by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®™) must meet certain eligibility requirements. In addition to passing the BCBA examination, students are required to complete supervised practical fieldwork. In accruing fieldwork hours, trainees must be provided with the opportunity to complete unrestricted activities. The BACB defines unrestricted activities as “…those that are most likely to be performed by a BCBA,” and requires that 60% of fieldwork hours are comprised of these activities (BACB, 2022a). Fieldwork hours may be accrued across a number of different host sites (e.g., hospital units, schools, community locations, etc.), with each host site having different day-to-day responsibilities affecting how these opportunities are provided. Therefore, exploration of the provision of these opportunities and the barriers to providing these opportunities is warranted. This presentation will cover results from two survey studies seeking to describe current practices involved in provision of opportunities to gain fieldwork experience hours towards BCBA certification; specifically, practices related to unrestricted fieldwork activities. Survey reports from both supervisors and supervisees indicate that, while unrestricted learning opportunities are often provided to trainees, contingencies present within the day-to-day operations of a clinical environment can be hampering. A discussion of the implications of these barriers and potential solutions are included.

Keywords

training pre-service professionals, supervision of pre-service professionals, survey research

Disciplines

Counselor Education

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