Process evaluation of a UK school-based alcohol intervention using the Behaviour Change Wheel Framework

There are few process evaluations of school-based alcohol education programmes, especially examining teacher’s role in implementation. Using a Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework, this qualitative study identifies the barriers and enablers to teacher delivery of the Talk About Alcohol (TAA) programme in UK secondary schools and provides strategies for improvement in this context. Ten teachers were interviewed about influences on their delivery of the TAA programme. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and then Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) were identified for optimisation. Key enablers included increased knowledge from training and resources, increased confidence and effective resource design. Barriers included social pressure on students and further training on complex issues related to alcohol use such as consent. Delivery was influenced by a range of positive enablers which can inform other school-based alcohol interventions. Strategies for optimisation include follow-up training sessions, notifications of new updates to the programme resources, training highlighting past successes for teachers and further action planning for students. This evaluation highlights how the BCW approach can be used to improve teacher implementation in educational research