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Effective Classroom Management in Middle Level Schools: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Perceptions

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Abstract

This focus group study examined general education and special education teachers' perceptions of effective classroom management practices in middle school to foster student engagement and learning.

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... Disruptive student behavior is a significant challenge that decreases student performance and sometimes increases teacher burnout (Gunersel et al., 2023). Implementing the curriculum or the content was tough due to constant redirections and a disorganized classroom environment. ...
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Global teaching opportunities have opened doors for teachers to look for prospective changes in their careers. The problem was international teachers accept offers to teach in the United States but face challenges for a smooth transition in the education system that affects students. The experiences of international teachers in implementing the U.S. curriculum are undocumented, resulting in literature gaps. The purpose of the qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of international teachers in U.S. classrooms in the education system. The study focused on the transitional and social challenges of international teachers that affect the smooth transition in the U.S. education system and teachers’ pedagogical approach that influences the expectations of the U.S. education system. Deardoff’s intercultural competency theory and Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory served as the theoretical framework. The target population was international teachers who earned a United States teaching license with a minimum of 1 year of teaching in an East Coast school district. Seventeen international teachers were selected through the purposive sampling technique, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection included transcripts, audio recordings, and reflexive notes. Otter.ai and Microsoft Teams were used to transcribe the data. Thematic analysis resulted in themes such as cultural adjustment, social inclusion, student performance, teacher interaction, and support system. Findings revealed international teachers experienced challenges during the initial years, but there was gradual improvement in their performance through support. Policymakers and recruiters should provide comprehensive support through international teacher programs and mentoring programs.
... Additionally, it fosters inclusivity, adaptability, and effective conflict resolution, while employing positive reinforcement and constructive feedback to encourage desired behaviors and contribute to a supportive learning atmosphere (Gunersel et al., 2023). ...
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This research addresses the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to education, particularly the limitations of online learning and the subsequent implementation of limited face-to-face learning. Recognizing the significant impact of these challenges on both teachers and students, the study aims to explore factors influencing the efficiency of classroom management during limited face-to-face learning. Focusing on 8th-grade students at SMP Negeri 2 Percut Sei Tuan, the research utilizes a quantitative approach, employing a Likert scale questionnaire distributed to 15 students via Google Form. The key findings reveal a deficiency in creating a conducive learning climate (32%-Not good), with challenges stemming from limited physical interaction, technological barriers, and difficulties in maintaining student engagement. However, organizing the study room received positive responses (67.5%-Good), indicating effective physical layout and orderliness contributing to a conducive learning atmosphere. On the other hand, managing the interaction of teaching and learning activities scored lower (30%-Not good), highlighting challenges related to varied teaching methods, learning media, and active student participation. In conclusion, the research underscores the necessity for improvements in the classroom management process within the limited face-to-face learning context. The findings provide valuable insights for enhancing teaching strategies, fostering a more conducive learning environment, and ultimately contributing to the successful attainment of learning objectives within the constraints of limited face-to-face interactions. The study's implications extend to educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to optimize the learning experience in the unique circumstances brought about by the pandemic.
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Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to establish a school safety culture through research on safety management as perceived by middle school physical education teachers. Research Method This study was conducted through in-depth interviews using a purposive sampling method from August 1 to September 30, 2024. Results: First, mandatory implementation of prevention education and safety education manuals and programs to increase prevention awareness. RAM is required. Second, regular facility and teaching management inspections are necessary and safety accidents can be prevented. Third, awareness of prevention and follow-up measures must improve a safe educational environment through institutional improvements in safety liability. Fourth, a safety training manual should be developed and unified and systematic training should be conducted. Conclusion Application to actual classroom environment. There is a need to develop a unified school safety education manual and systematic program.
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Special education teacher (SET) burnout is a significant concern, especially for SETs serving students with emotional–behavioral disorders (EBD), as they tend to experience higher burnout than other teachers. Working conditions, especially social support, have the potential to ameliorate burnout, but prior research has not articulated the sources and types of social support that are most important. The authors conducted a longitudinal study, surveying 230 SETs serving students with EBD at three time points across 1 school year. Data revealed administrative support, adequacy of planning time, and autonomy in fall predicted emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment in winter and spring. Associations between working conditions and burnout components were partially mediated by SETs’ perceptions of workload manageability. SET change in well-being due to COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic was not associated with burnout. The authors discuss implications, limitations, and directions for future inquiry.
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This Campbell systematic review examines the effect of multi‐component teacher classroom management programmes on disruptive or aggressive student behaviour and which management components are most effective. The review summarises findings from 12 studies conducted in public school general education classrooms in the United States and Netherlands. Participants included students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Executive summary/Abstract Disruptive behavior in schools has been a source of concern for school systems for several years. Indeed, the single most common request for assistance from teachers is related to behavior and classroom management (Rose & Gallup, 2005). Classrooms with frequent disruptive behaviors have less academic engaged time, and the students in disruptive classrooms tend to have lower grades and do poorer on standardized tests (Shinn, Ramsey, Walker, Stieber, & O'Neill, 1987). Furthermore, attempts to control disruptive behaviors cost considerable teacher time at the expense of academic instruction. Effective classroom management focuses on preventive rather than reactive procedures and establishes a positive classroom environment in which the teacher focuses on students who behave appropriately (Lewis & Sugai, 1999). Rules and routines are powerful preventative components to classroom organization and management plans because they establish the behavioral context of the classroom by specifying what is expected, what will be reinforced, and what will be retaught if inappropriate behavior occurs (Colvin, Kame'enui, & Sugai, 1993). This prevents problem behavior by giving students specific, appropriate behaviors to engage in. Monitoring student behavior allows the teacher to acknowledge students who are engaging in appropriate behavior and prevent misbehavior from escalating (Colvin et al., 1993). Research on classroom management has typically focused on the identification of individual practices that have some level of evidence to support their adoption within classrooms. These practices are then combined under the assumption that, if individual practices are effective, combining these practices into a package will be equally, if not more, effective. Textbooks are written and policies and guidelines are disseminated to school personnel based on these assumptions. Without research that examines classroom management as an efficient package of effective practices, a significant gap in our current knowledge base still exists. Understanding the components that make up the most effective and efficient classroom management system as well as identifying the effects teachers and administrators can expect from implementing effective classroom management strategies represent some of these gaps. A meta‐analysis of classroom management which identifies more and less effective approaches to universal, whole‐class, classroom management as a set of practices is needed to provide the field with clear research‐based standards. This review examines the effects of teachers' universal classroom management practices in reducing disruptive, aggressive, and inappropriate behaviors. The specific research questions addressed are: Do teacher's universal classroom management practices reduce problem behavior in classrooms with students in kindergarten through 12 th grade? What components make up the most effective and efficient classroom management programs? Do differences in effectiveness exist between grade levels? Do differences in classroom management components exist between grade levels? Does treatment fidelity affect the outcomes observed? These questions were addressed through a systematic review of the classroom management literature and a meta‐analysis of the effects of classroom management on disruptive or aggressive student behavior. Twelve studies of universal classroom management programs were included in the review. The classroom‐level mean effect size for the 12 programs was positive and statistically significant (d=.80 with an ICC=.05; d=.71 with an ICC=.10; p<.05). Note that cluster adjustments were required due to differences in reporting measures between classroom level outcomes and individual student level outcomes. The resulting effect sizes index classroom‐level differences and cannot be compared to the typical student‐level effect sizes commonly reported in the literature. Due to a lack of power to detect heterogeneity and lack of information reported in the studies reviewed, only the first research question could be addressed. Teacher's classroom management practices have a significant, positive effect on decreasing problem behavior in the classroom. Students in the treatment classrooms in all 12 studies located for the review showed less disruptive, inappropriate, and aggressive behavior in the classroom compared to untreated students in the control classrooms. The overall mean classroom effect size of either .80 or .71 indicates a positive effect that significantly impacts the classroom environment. To put our classroom‐level mean effect sizes into a comparable format with the more typical effect sizes, we back‐transformed our mean effect sizes using the original adjustment formulas (Hedges, 2007). Thus, the classroom‐level mean effect sizes of .80 and .71 are roughly comparable to student level effect sizes of .18 and .22 for ICC=.05 and ICC=.10, respectively. Teachers who use effective classroom management can expect to experience improvements in student behavior and improvements that establish the context for effective instructional practices to occur.
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This meta-analysis examined which classroom management strategies and programs enhanced students’ academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and motivational outcomes in primary education. The analysis included 54 random and nonrandom controlled intervention studies published in the past decade (2003–2013). Results showed small but significant effects (average g = 0.22) on all outcomes, except for motivational outcomes. Programs were coded for the presence/absence of four categories of strategies: focusing on the teacher, on student behavior, on students’ social-emotional development, and on teacher–student relationships. Focusing on the students’ social-emotional development appeared to have the largest contribution to the interventions’ effectiveness, in particular on the social-emotional outcomes. Moreover, we found a tentative result that students’ academic outcomes benefitted from teacher-focused programs.
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An overview of the many types of studies that fall into the qualitative design genre is provided. Strategies that qualitative researchers use to establish the authors' studies as credible and trustworthy are listed and defined. So that readers will recognize the important contribution qualitative studies have made in the field of special education, a range of well-known and lesser known examples of qualitative research are reviewed. The quality indicators that are important in conducting and evaluating qualitative research are identified. Finally, as an example of the evidence that can be produced using qualitative methods, the authors provide a summary of how 3 studies have provided important information that can be used to inform policy and practice.
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Despite decades of research in classroom management, issues contributing to novice teachers feeling unprepared to manage classrooms have not been fully explored. Teachers reported uncertainty with classroom management practices and requested clear expectations and additional support in classroom management (Cooper et al. 2018 Cooper, J. T., N. A. Gage, P. J. Alter, S. LaPolla, A. MacSuga-Gage, and T. M. Scott. 2018. Educators’ self-reported training, use, and perceived effectiveness of evidence-based classroom management practices. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth 62 (1):13–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2017.1298562.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Mireles-Rios, Becchio, and Roshandel 2019 Mireles-Rios, R.,. J. A. Becchio, and S. Roshandel. 2019. Teacher evaluations and contextualized self-efficacy: Classroom management, instructional strategies and student engagement. Journal of School Administration Research and Development 4 (1):6–17. doi: https://doi.org/10.32674/jsard.v4i1.1938.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). This study’s purpose was to describe how feelings of unpreparedness were shaped by teacher preparation in classroom management including suggestions for teachers and teacher mentors. Constructivism, social constructivism, and instructional scaffolding showed that active learning and practice with gradually reduced support increased classroom management autonomy (Bruner 2009 Bruner, J. 2009. The process of education: A landmark in educational theory. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Piaget 1932 Piaget, J. 1932. The moral judgement of the child. New York, NY: Routledge. [Google Scholar]; Vygotsky 1978 Vygotsky, L. S. 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar]). The qualitative descriptive case study utilized interviews with eight novice teachers from the California Bay Area and an analysis of transcripts and course descriptions to describe classroom management needs. Findings identified a lack of practical approaches, poor preparation for behavioral issues, and minimal evidence-based classroom management training. Researchers suggested actionable solutions for teachers and teacher mentors.
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Middle school teachers frequently struggle with positively managing student behavior. However, praise-to-reprimand ratios (PRRs) have received little research attention. PRRs studied in elementary school have been positively associated with improvements in on-task and prosocial behavior, but limited research has been conducted on optimal PRRs in middle schools. We conducted this study in the context of a randomized control trial of Class-wide Function-related Intervention Teams Middle School (CW-FIT MS) to isolate the effects of one of the main components of the intervention, PRR. After controlling for the intervention, we examined the effects of PRRs in 28 middle school classrooms on (a) class-wide on-task behavior, (b) on-task behavior of students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and (c) disruptive behavior of students at risk for EBD. Multivariate regressions revealed a statistically significant linear relationship between middle school PRRs and the variables of interest: As PRRs increased, on-task behavior of the entire class improved, on-task behavior and grades of students at risk for EBD increased, and disruptive behavior of students at risk for EBD decreased. We discuss the implications of our findings and suggest areas for future research.
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Disruptive student behavior in middle school is associated with negative outcomes including poor grades, low achievement scores, dropout, lost teaching time, teacher burnout, and societal expenditures. Classroom Behavior Management (CBM) strategies are effective at reducing disruptive behavior, decreasing teacher stress, and increasing achievement with elementary students, but less is known regarding these strategies for middle school students. The purpose of the current study was to assess (a) the rates of disruptive and on-task student behaviors in middle school classrooms, overall and by academic context including individual seatwork, group/partner work, small group instruction, and whole group instruction; (b) the rates of observed (appropriate and inappropriate commands, labeled and unlabeled praise, opportunities to respond; appropriate response to rule violations) and self-reported (appropriate commands, reprimands for inappropriate behavior, strategic ignoring, if/then contingencies, and send to principal’s office) CBM strategies; and (c) relationships between observed teacher strategy use and rates of disruptive and on-task behaviors. The results indicated that there was wide variability in teachers’ use of CBM strategies, their perceptions of the effectiveness of CBM strategies, and the frequency of disruptive student behavior. In addition, overall, teachers demonstrated low rates of appropriate responses to disruptive behavior. Notably, appropriate responses to disruptive behavior had the strongest association with total rates of disruptive and on-task behaviors. The implications of these findings for teacher training are discussed.
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Many teachers resort to using reprimands in attempts to stop disruptive student behavior, particularly by students with emotional or behavioral problems, although this may not be effective. This study examined short-term longitudinal data on teacher reprimands of 149 teachers in 19 different elementary schools across three states, as well as disruptive behavior and classroom engagement of 311 students considered at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. A cross-lag analysis showed that teacher reprimands did not decrease students’ future disruptive behavior or increase their engagement or vice versa. While teacher reprimands may suppress misbehavior momentarily, they do not appear to be effective in decreasing students’ disruptive behavior or increasing their engagement over time. Limitations and implications are discussed.
Article
Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often receive low rates of teacher praise and high rates of teacher reprimands, though they may respond more positively to praise and more negatively to reprimands than their typically developing peers. Teacher praise-to-reprimand ratios (PRRs) are associated with increased student engagement, but more research is necessary to further explore how these ratios affect student behavior, particularly for students with or at risk for EBD. Commonly 3:1 or 4:1 is recommended as a desirable PRR, but students with EBD may need higher ratios to improve their classroom behavior. In our study of 540 students and 149 teachers, we found that as teacher PRR increased the engagement of at-risk students increased, though engagement for typically developing peers did not. A PRR of approximately 9:1 was needed for students at risk for EBD to approximate the engagement levels of their typically developing peers. No effect of PRR on disruption rates was found for either student category.
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Effective classroom management practices have been associated with students' behavioral and academic outcomes, but some questions have been raised regarding the degree to which current classroom management strategies are responsive to the backgrounds of students of color in US public schools. Additionally, frameworks for culturally responsive classroom management have emerged, but little attention has been given to systematically measuring and examining these practices, particularly in conjunction with more traditional domains of classroom management. The current study used a person-centered approach with data from 103 middle-school teachers to explore how classroom management practices, including cultural responsiveness, co-occur in teacher practice, and how profiles of practices are associated with teacher and classroom characteristics and student behaviors. The latent profile analysis revealed three ordered profiles of classroom management practices (i.e., high, medium, low), suggesting that cultural responsiveness may operate as an extension of other classroom management strategies. Results also demonstrated that White students were more likely to be in classrooms with high levels of classroom management, and that students in classrooms with low levels of classroom management were more likely to demonstrate elevated levels of negative behaviors. The results suggest that a subset of teachers is in need of comprehensive professional development on a range of classroom management techniques, while all teachers could improve their practices reflecting meaningful participation and cultural responsiveness.
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Teachers receive limited training and support in classroom management, making it incumbent on school leaders to provide efficient and effective professional development supports. We explored the effects of a brief targeted professional development (TPD) approach (brief training, email prompts, and self-management of trained skills) on teachers’ use of three empirically supported classroom management skills (prompts, opportunities to respond [OTR], and specific praise). Using an experimental crossover design, we documented that teachers increased their prompt and specific praise rates while they actively engaged in TPD. However, training effects did not maintain when TPD shifted to a new skill and teachers’ increased use of OTRs during TPD was neither statistically significant nor maintained. Teachers found TPD to be acceptable, usable, and feasible.
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Transitioning from elementary to middle school is a time of particular vulnerability for students with behavior problems. This study examined the effects of class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT) in three middle school classrooms to determine whether this multitiered intervention could help teachers proactively manage student behavior. With a focus on teaching classroom expectations, delivering behavior-specific praise, and providing differential reinforcement within an interdependent group contingency, CW-FIT is designed to teach functional replacement behaviors that support students’ academic engagement. Intervention effects were assessed with seventh- and eighth-grade students from diverse backgrounds. Results, evaluated using a single-subject withdrawal (ABAB) design, indicated improved rates of on-task behavior at both class-wide and individual student levels, with corresponding increases in teacher praise and decreases in teacher reprimands. The positive way in which participants viewed CW-FIT implementation and its accompanying effects on student behaviors was consistent with earlier findings in elementary schools. Study limitations and areas for future research are discussed.
Article
In the United States, many teachers feel underprepared to manage student classroom behavior positively. Such management is crucial for students to learn effectively, especially those with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Although increasing teacher praise and decreasing teacher reprimands may be research-based practices, more empirical evidence is required for them to be considered evidence based. The current study of 65 elementary school teachers and 239 students across three states contrasted the effects of these teacher behaviors on engagement and disruptions of students who were and were not at risk of EBD. Using structural equation modeling, we examined how the engagement and disruptions of students at risk were more sensitive to teacher praise and reprimand than the behavior of their typical peers. These results support the literature and invite teachers to consider that who they praise and reprimand is just as important as how.
Article
Teachers’ classroom management practices have a direct impact on their students’ probability of success. Evidence-based classroom management practices include (a) active instruction and supervision of students (i.e., teaching), (b) opportunities for students to respond, and (c) feedback to students. In this study, we examined the degree to which teachers implemented evidence-based classroom management practices and whether there was a relationship between use of those teacher behaviors and students’ time engaged in instruction and rate of disruptions. Using latent class analysis, we identified four groups of teachers from 1,242 teacher–student dyads in 65 elementary schools, with one group of teachers demonstrating very low rates of classroom management practices. We then modeled the predictive relationship of being in classrooms with low rates of classroom management practices and student engagement and disruptive behavior within a multilevel framework. Results indicate that students in classrooms with low rates of classroom management practices were statistically significantly less engaged in instruction, whereas no differences in disruptions were found. The results are discussed within the context of prior research, students with or at risk for emotional and/or behavioral disorders, and study limitations.
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The aim of this study was to isolate and evaluate the impact of increasing teachers’ ratios of positive-to-negative interactions with their students. Training teachers on the 5:1 ratio was evaluated using a randomized-block pre–post control design with general education classroom teachers (N = 6) that were characterized by a higher ratio of negative-to-positive interactions between students, as well as low academic engagement and high disruptive behaviors. Teachers in the intervention group were trained on the 5:1 ratio, instructed to wear a device that prompted them on a VI 5-min schedule to deliver specific praise, approval statements, and positive non-verbal gestures to specific students exhibiting expected behaviors or the entire class as a whole, and completing a self-monitoring chart to increase their awareness of their ratios. Results revealed that students in the intervention group displayed significantly fewer disruptive behavior problems and higher academic engaged time when compared with students in control classrooms. Social validity results also revealed that teachers found the strategy feasible, acceptable, and effective. Limitations of this research, including the small-scale nature of this study, and future directions for teacher training, retention, and schoolwide universal prevention are discussed.
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Measures that can be used to identify malleable, dynamic indicators of teacher practices that lead to or are associated with student outcomes are needed to inform classroom interventions and consultation practices with teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the Brief Student–Teacher Classroom Interaction Observation in elementary classrooms (Grades K–3). A universal sample of 896 students was observed during classroom instruction. The measure was utilized to gather information on how teachers interacted with students with regard to their use of positive versus negative feedback during a 5-min window at the start of the school year. Findings indicate that students who received more negative feedback than positive feedback from their teacher were rated at the end of the year as having a significant increase in problems with emotion regulation, concentration problems, and observed disruptive behavior, whereas students who received more positive feedback demonstrated significant increases in prosocial behaviors. Implications for how this brief 5-min observation can be used to inform teacher practice and identify students at the start of the year in need of additional supports are discussed.
Chapter
From the time individuals first enter school until they complete their formal schooling, children and adolescents spend more time in schools than in any other place outside their homes. Exploring all of the possible ways in which educational institutions influence motivation and development during adolescence is beyond the scope of a single chapter. In this chapter I discuss the ways in which schools influence adolescents' social- emotional and behavioral development through organizational, social, and instructional processes ranging from those based in the immediate, proximal relation between students and the tasks they are asked to perform to the role that principals and the school boards play in setting school-level and district-level policies, which in turn influence the social organization of the entire school community. I discuss at length three examples of the ways in which these multiple organizational levels interact synergistically to influence adolescent development through their impact on the daily experiences that adolescents in the United States encounter as they move through the American school system. The first example focuses on the role of school transitions, the second on the role of curricular tracking, and the third on extracurricular activities. Few of these processes have been studied in countries other than the United States. I assume similar processes are true in other countries, but this remains to be demonstrated empirically.
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Although the association between school suspension and deleterious outcomes is widely acknowledged, policy and practice need to be informed by an evidence base derived from multiple studies revealing consistent trends. This meta-analysis aims to address this void by examining the degree to which different types of school suspensions (in-school versus out-of-school) are associated with both academic achievement and school dropout, while concurrently examining study or participant characteristics that moderate these relationships. Data sources included peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies from 1986 – 2012 obtained via bibliographic databases. A meta-analysis was conducted on 53 cases from 34 studies. The results revealed a significant inverse relationship between suspensions and achievement, along with a significant positive relationship between suspensions and dropout. Furthermore, study or participant characteristics and type of suspension significantly affected the relationship between suspensions and the outcome variables. Implications for policy, practice, and research are emphasized.
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This study examined classroom practices of effective versus less effective teachers (based on student achievement gain scores in reading and mathematics). In Phase I of the study, hierarchical linear modeling was used to assess the teacher effectiveness of 307 fifth-grade teachers in terms of student learning gains. In Phase II, 32 teachers (17 top quartile and 15 bottom quartile) participated in an in-depth cross-case analysis of their instructional and classroom management practices. Classroom observation findings (Phase II) were compared with teacher effectiveness data (Phase I) to determine the impact of selected teacher behaviors on the teachers’ overall effectiveness drawn from a single year of value-added data.
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In this article the authors examine the theoretical and empirical basis of teacher-student relationships. They focus specifically on the importance of supportive teacher-student relationships in the lives of adolescents with high-incidence disabilities. Students receiving special education services in these categories are at a heightened risk of experiencing social, emotional, and mental health problems. School-based programs and practices designed to promote supportive relationships between teachers and students with disabilities have the potential to provide these students with much needed support within the contexts of schools. A number of factors that can enhance teacher-student relationships including school and classroom structures, teacher beliefs and practices, and social-emotional curricula are presented and discussed.
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In response to public requests to improve the purpose and structure of discipline systems, schools have increased their emphases on “school-wide” positive behavior support. The thesis of this paper is that the current problem behavior of students in elementary and middle schools requires a preventive, whole-school approach. The foundation for such an approach lies in the emerging technology of positive behavior support. The features of positive behavior support are defined, and their application to whole-school intervention articulated. Finally, the steps that have been used to implement school-wide positive behavior support in over 500 schools across the nation are described.
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Discusses focus groups as a research interviewing procedure specifically designed to uncover insights from a small group of participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
  • Milner H. R.