A Qualitative Analysis of Mainstreamed Behaviorally Disordered Aggressive Adolescents' Perception of Helpful and Unhelpful Teacher Attitudes and Behaviors

Abstract

In this study, I explored mainstreamed behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents' perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors. I generated the data from in-depth formal individual interviews of six behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents and ethnographic observations of them in main- stream classrooms. The data revealed that these students perceived teachers were helpful when they engaged in specific aspects of teacher-student communication as well as flexible academic and behavioral program implementation. They perceived teachers' rigidity and use of discipline as unhelpful. Student anger was a pervading theme throughout the data set. Understanding students' perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors may have implications for more successful integration of behaviorally disordered students into mainstream classrooms.