How teachers respond to concerns about misbehavior in their classroom

Abstract

The present study examined kindergarten to Year Two teachers' responses to concern about classroom misbehavior in terms of (a) support they access, (b) strategies they use, and (c) information they require to more effectively deal with misbehavior. The extent to which teachers' confidence in behavior management mediated the relationship between students' misbehavior and a, b, and c was also examined. Results indicated that concern about their students' misbehavior was negatively associated with teachers' confidence. Concern about misbehavior was positively associated with the use of school-based support. Concern about misbehavior was positively associated with the use of non-physical punishment and referral of the student to other school personnel. In relation to information needs, concern about students' misbehavior was most strongly associated with the need for specific information on how to deal with misbehavior and, to a lesser extent, associated with the need for positively-focused and teacher-focused information. Teachers' confidence mediated the relationship between misbehavior concerns and the tendency to refer the child to other school personnel.

Classroom behavior management practices in kindergarten classrooms: An observation study.

“…These results extend the findings of previous studies which reported that teachers tend to use positive ways of dealing with children's behavior problems, but they do deliver punishment as well (Docking, 1980;Papatheodorou, 2000) Many explanations could be given for the results. Teachers do not have enough information and understanding about how management practices should be used (Martin, Linfoot, & Stephenson, 1999). It is notable that some teachers are inadequately trained to deal with students with behavior problems and may actually exacerbate the misbehavior (Pettit, Bates, & Dodge, 1993).…”

Timely Intervention – Before It’s Too Hard

“…As teachers develop experientially they are then in a position to reflect on their practices and seek a boarder base for their theoretical framework. Martin et al (1999) studied the relationships between teacher confidence and responses to misbehaviour in schools. They found that teachers frequently requested information about behaviours and positive strategies and that this suggested that current teacher education did not provide pre-service teachers with the skills to successfully manage problem behaviours.…”

“…A number of studies (Arbuckle & Little, 2004;Martin, et al, 1999;Stephenson, Linfoot, & Martin, 2000) discuss the concern of teachers with the level of distractibility of students and lack of time on task. In contrast parents often report that while their children lack concentration in school they can spend hours in full concentration on their hobbies especially on computer games.…”

“…(Anderson, et al, 2004;Buhs, et al, 2006;Davis & Dupper, 2004;Decker, et al, 2007;Mawhinney & Sagan, 2007;Webster & Knotek, 2007;Willms, 2003). Teachers are constantly interacting with students and the outcomes of these interactions are related to teacher quality, their attitudes and values and their underpinning theories of teaching and learning (Biggs & Telfer, 1987;Caldwell & Spinks, 2008;Davis & Dupper, 2004;Huitt & Hummel, 2003;Martin, et al, 1999;McNally, et al, 2005; C. R. Rogers, 1983;Slavin, 1997;Wells, 2003).…”

A Brief Intervention to Increase the use of Precorrection and Praise by Elementary School Teachers

“…Student problem behavior is a fundamental concern for teachers, yet many do not feel equipped to prevent or address the behavior (Allday et al, 2011). Teachers have consistently reported feeling under-educated and unprepared to manage challenging behaviors (Clunies-Ross, 2008;Martin, Linfoot, & Stephenson, 1999). For example, when Baker (2005) surveyed teachers, nearly half of their sample felt ill-equipped to manage student behavior.…”