Pre-Service Teachers’ Responses to Student Behavior in a Mixed-Reality Environment

Jillian Black,Amity L Noltemeyer,Tammy Schwartz,Darrel R Davis

doi:10.1177/2158244016633494

Abstract

This study examined whether student gender and the type of student misbehavior affected the classroom management techniques of pre-service teachers. Participants were pre-service teachers who interacted with avatar students controlled by an actor in a mixed-reality environment. Avatar students’ behaviors were systematically coded along with their gender. Pre-service teachers’ responses were organized into four categories: coercion, retreatism, normative, and remunerative. Pre-service teachers’ use of proximity and tone of voice were also recorded. Data were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA tests. Significant differences in pre-service teacher responses were found for type of avatar student misbehavior but not avatar student gender. Results and implications for future research are discussed.

Highlights

Rather than broadly focusing on classroom management, this study focuses more narrowly on the use of such behavioral strategies to respond to student misbehavior when it does occur
This study examined whether pre-service teachers responded differently to student misbehavior based on the gender of the Variable χ2 df p
The TeachLivETM avatar students engaged in the same behaviors across sessions based on their characters

Summary

Literature Review

In order for effective instruction to take place, teachers must be able to maintain an orderly classroom environment. It is difficult or impossible to manipulate certain variables such as student behavior This technology allows researchers to have control and consistency in the classroom environment (Dieker et al, 2008), it should be noted that it is a contrived setting and may not be an entirely accurate indication of how pre-service teachers would naturally act in the classroom. The objective of this study was to use mixed-reality technology to investigate whether pre-service teachers respond to avatar students engaging in the same misbehavior differently based on the gender of the avatar student and the types of behaviors exhibited. Hypothesis 1: Pre-service teachers would respond more negatively and punitively to males’ misbehavior than to females’ They would exhibit more controlling responses when interacting with male avatar students and would likely try to end the incident of misbehavior quickly. They would likely feel more confident in quickly and punitively responding to less serious infractions

Method

Procedure

Results

Discussion

Limitations