Effects of Direct Instruction, Cooperative Learning, and Independent Learning Practices on the Classroom Behavior of Students with Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the effects of direct instruction, cooperative learning, and independent learning instructional practices on the classroom behavior of students with behavior disorders. Results indicated that there were distinct differences in the classroom behavior of the students during the direct instruction condition. In this condition, they displayed higher rates of on-task behavior and lower rates of disruptive behavior relative to the cooperative learning and independent learning conditions. There appeared to be little or no differences between the classroom behavior of the students during the cooperative learning condition and that during the independent learning condition. The results suggest (a) that the instructional sequence underlying direct instruction practices reduces the disruptive behavior of students, and (b) that instructional practices may serve as an aversive stimuli in classrooms.

Separate and Better: A Special Public School Class for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Research suggests that a systematic response to low levels of misbehavior can effectively reduce coercive interactions and maintain appropriate behavior by intervening early in the chain of events (see Cypress Group, 1996;Kauffman, 1999b;Nelson, 1996). The teachers' three-tiered cooldown system (see Table 2) was consistent with this model.…”

“…(p. 5). Well aware of the importance of using empirically based methods like teacher-directed instruction (Engelmann & Carnine, 1991;Nelson, Johnson, & Marchand-Martella, 1996;Porter & Brophy, 1988;Wehby, Symons, Canale, & Go, 1998;White, 1988) and cognitive strategy instruction (Deshler, Ellis, & Lenz, 1996;Wood, Woloshyn, & Willoughby, 1995), the teachers employed these methods consistently in all subject areas. The team-teaching arrangement allowed as many as four instructional groups to be operating simultaneously under the direction of one of the adults.…”

21st Century Schooling: Engaging Critical Need Teachers in Discourse on Classroom Management and Discipline

“…In total, 17 studies were found for this review which highlight what researchers have found in this area. Five of these studies (Behets, 1997;Goolsby, 1996;Nelson, Johnson, & Marchand-Martella, 1996;Stright & Supplee, 2002;Vasquez-Levy, 1993) concern whole-class instruction, whereas four others (Christenson & Serrao, 1997;Hannifin & Clark, 1989(as cited in Webb, Baxter, & Thompson, 1997Harwood, 1995;Hooper, Ward, Hannafin, & Clark, 1989) present cooperative learning strategies. Looking at these earlier studies provided a pathway to substantiate the importance of the present study.…”

Single subject research: applications to special education

“…The researchers investigated the treatment effects of three types of behaviour management evaluation methods – teacher evaluation, self‐evaluation, and group evaluation – on both the academic and the behaviour performance of three students with EBD. In another study, Nelson and Johnson (1996) conducted a comparative analysis of the effects of direct instruction, co‐operative learning and independent learning practices on the classroom behaviour of students with behavioural disorders. In both studies researchers were interested in examining the impact of more than one independent variable on the dependent variables.…”