A Comparison of Teacher Approval and Disapproval Statements across Categories of Exceptionality

Abstract

Researchers have long sought to identify teaching acts that have a predictable effect on learner performance. The contingent use of teacher praise is well documented for its positive influence on the social behavior of handicapped youngsters. However, results of the present study indicate that teachers of the mentally retarded, multihandicapped and learning disabled and/or behavior disordered make limited use of praise over criticism in managing classroom behavior. Even though the technology exists for training selected teacher competencies, e.g., use of contingent praise, it would appear that problems remain in connection with maintaining these skills in applied settings.

The Effect of Self-Evaluation on Teaching Behavior in Classrooms for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Teachers in classrooms for students with EBD use both praise (Gable et al, 1983;Van Acker et al, 1996;Wehby et al, 1995) and OTR (Van Acker et al, 1996;Wehby et al, 1995) infrequently. Descriptive data from the pretreatment phase of this investigation add support to these findings.…”

“…One recommended practice is to verbally praise students for correct academic responses and appropriate social behaviors (Gunter & Cou-tinho ; Gunter & Denny; Kauffman, 2001;Sutherland, 2000;Walker et al, 1995;Wehby et al, 1998). For students with EBD, praise has positive effects 1.2 to 4.5 per hour per student (Gable, Hendrickson, Young, Shores, & Stowitschek, 1983;Van Acker, Grant, & Henry, 1996;Wehby, Symons, & Shores, 1995). Moreover, whereas the suggested ratio of praise statements: reprimands ranges from 3:1 Sprick, 1981) to 4:1 (Walker et al, 1995), ratios reported in the descriptive literature have ranged from 2:1 to 4:1 in favor of reprimands.…”

Effect of Varying Rates of Behavior-Specific Praise on the On-Task Behavior of Students with EBD

“…It has been suggested that the use of praise could be increased through direct intervention in the field (Gable et al, 1983;Gunter et al, 1993;Gunter & Reed, 1996;Lago-Delello, 1998;Sikorski, Niemiec, & Walberg, 1996). Peer coaching using observation and feedback, for example, is an intervention that has been shown to (a) promote positive change in classroom management strategies (Hasbrouck & Christen, 1997), (b) be effective for increasing desired teacher behaviors while decreasing undesired teacher behaviors (Pierce & Miller, 1994), and (c) enhance the accuracy with which teachers implement curriculumbased measurement (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1993).…”

“…Gable, Hendrickson, Young, Shores, and Stowitschek (1983) found that the rate of teacher praise in classrooms for students with learning disabilities and EBD was 4.4 praise statements per hour. In classrooms only for students with EBD, the rate of praise was even lower: found rates as low as one praise statement per hour.…”

Teaching Elementary Students With Developmental Disabilities to Recruit Teacher Attention in a General Education Classroom: Effects on Teacher Praise and Academic Productivity

“…In addition, the rates at which teachers expressed verbal disapproval toward students exceeded their rates of verbal approval from Grade 3 upward. Low rates of teacher praise have also been documented by Baker and Zigmond (1990) ;Deno, Maruyama, Espin, and Cohen (1990); Gable, Hendrickson, Young, Shores, and Stowitschek (1983) ;Nowacek, McKinney, and Hallahan (1990);and Ysseldyke, Thurlow, Mecklenburg, and Graden (1984).…”