Classroom Management Intervention Research Articles

Effects of a Universal Classroom Management Intervention on Middle School Students With or At Risk of Behavior Problems

Universal interventions implemented in schools have the potential to impact large numbers of students on a multitude of behavioral and academic outcomes. In the context of a large group randomized controlled trial, the current study examined whether teacher-perceived student need for behavior support plans at baseline moderated the effects of a middle school universal classroom management training program, CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success, on student outcomes. We hypothesized that students in CHAMPS classrooms who were identified by teachers at baseline as needing behavior support plans would have greater end-of-year improvements on behavior and academic outcomes relative to comparable youth in non-CHAMPS classrooms. Results indicated baseline teacher-perceived student behavior support need moderated some intervention outcomes; in particular, youth at risk in CHAMPS classrooms demonstrated improvements in concentration problems ( b = –.19) and communication arts outcomes ( b = .13) compared with youth at risk in control group classrooms. Implications of these findings and future research are discussed.

Examining Adaptations of the Good Behavior Game: A Comparison of Known and Unknown Criteria for Winning

ABSTRACTThe Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom management intervention whereby students earn points toward a particular criterion to “win” the game. Typically, students know the criterion at the start of the game. However, this approach may cause behavior to deteriorate if, during the game, students believe that they have already won or lost. The current study investigated the effects of known and unknown criteria in a Welsh Year 4 (ages 8–9) classroom. Participants included three students who engaged in disruptive behavior (target students) and three who typically did not (nontarget peers). Tau-U and percentage nonoverlapping data (PND) effect size calculations indicated that both known and unknown criterion games were effective at reducing target students’ disruptions to within the range of their nontarget peers, but neither game was more effective than the other. Teachers reported that they preferred playing the GBG with an unknown criterion; however, the students’ preferences were mixed.

Effects of a universal classroom management teacher training program on elementary children with aggressive behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment effects of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM), a universal classroom management intervention, on the outcomes of children with aggressive behavior in elementary school. Classroom management has been demonstrated as a factor in either escalating children's aggressive behavior or decreasing those problematic behaviors. Participants included 1,817 students (Grade K to 3) and 105 teachers from nine elementary schools in a large urban Midwestern school district. Teachers were randomly assigned to receive IY TCM or to a wait-list comparison group. The hypotheses were that baseline levels of aggression would moderate the relationship between intervention status and outcomes. Findings indicated the hypothesized moderation effect on several outcome variables; specifically, children with baseline aggression problems who were in IY TCM classrooms had significantly improved math achievement, emotional regulation, prosocial behaviors, and observed aggression in comparison to similar peers in the control classrooms. Implications for practice and future research based on the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementing Positive Behavior Support Within Preschool Settings: Group Functional Assessment and CW-FIT

Preschool is an important educational setting for child development, and problem behavior is a prevalent barrier within this setting. Preschool teachers have expressed the need for evidence-based classroom management interventions to address problem behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that incorporates social skills training, group contingencies, and reinforcement to address problem behavior within classrooms. This intervention has been found to be socially valid by teachers and children, and effective in increasing children’s engagement, decreasing problems/problem behavior in elementary, kindergarten, and first- and second-grade classrooms. The aim of the current study was to evaluate a modified CW-FIT as an effective strategy to address problem behavior within two community preschools in Ireland across three preschool classes with 32 children. A multiple-baseline design across groups was employed to evaluate the outcomes, with measures of generalization and maintenance (for one group) also taken. Visual analysis of data revealed an increase in the children’s on-task behavior and social skills as well as a decrease in children’s problem behavior within these settings. Generalization (across all three groups) and maintenance (across one group) of these findings for on-task behavior and problem behavior were also observed. Social validity measures showed that teachers rated the intervention as socially acceptable.

Preventing violence against children in schools (PVACS): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of the EmpaTeach behavioural intervention in Nyarugusu refugee camp

BackgroundWe aim to test the effectiveness of the EmpaTeach intervention to prevent physical violence from teachers to students in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Tanzania. EmpaTeach is a 10-week, 14-session, classroom management and cognitive-behavioural therapy-based intervention for groups of teachers for delivery by lay personnel in resource-constrained settings.MethodsWe will conduct a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with parallel assignment and an approximately 1:1 allocation ratio. All primary and secondary schools in Nyarugusu will be invited to participate. Whole schools will be stratified according to whether they are Congolese or Burundian, and primary or secondary schools, then randomised to active intervention or wait-list control conditions via a public meeting with headteachers. We will collect survey data from n = 500 teachers and at least n = 1500 students before the intervention, soon after, and at least 6 months after the end of the intervention. The primary outcome measure will be students’ self-reports of experience of physical violence from school staff in the past week, measured using a modified version of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Screening Tool-Child Institutional at the first follow-up after the intervention. Secondary outcomes include emotional violence, depressive symptoms and educational test scores. Analysis will be intention to treat, using repeat cross-sectional data from individuals.DiscussionIf successful, the EmpaTeach intervention would represent one of a handful of proven interventions to reduce violence from teachers to students in any setting. IRC provides an immediate platform for scale up of the intervention via its current work in more than 40 conflict-affected countries.Trial registrationNCT03745573, registered November 19, 2018 at clinicaltrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03745573.

Single-item teacher stress and coping measures: Concurrent and predictive validity and sensitivity to change

This study examined the concurrent and predictive validity of single-item scales for assessing teacher stress and coping. Correlations between the stress and coping items and present and end-of-year teacher-reported burnout and self-efficacy generally aligned with hypotheses, with stronger associations between coping and burnout and self-efficacy in comparison to the associations between stress and burnout and self-efficacy. Stress and coping items also predicted concurrent and future emotional exhaustion controlling for covariates; however, only coping consistently predicted additional variance in future emotional exhaustion with both stress and coping items in the model. Further, the coping item, not the stress item, demonstrated sensitivity to detect intervention effects; that is, teachers randomly assigned to receive a classroom management intervention (the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management program) had significantly higher coping scores compared to a wait-list comparison group. The results of this study provide support for the continued use of single-item stress and coping measures of teacher well-being, and areas for further research and potential use of these measures are discussed.

Improving Student Behavior in Middle Schools: Results of a Classroom Management Intervention

Transitioning from elementary to middle school is a time of particular vulnerability for students with behavior problems. This study examined the effects of class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT) in three middle school classrooms to determine whether this multitiered intervention could help teachers proactively manage student behavior. With a focus on teaching classroom expectations, delivering behavior-specific praise, and providing differential reinforcement within an interdependent group contingency, CW-FIT is designed to teach functional replacement behaviors that support students’ academic engagement. Intervention effects were assessed with seventh- and eighth-grade students from diverse backgrounds. Results, evaluated using a single-subject withdrawal (ABAB) design, indicated improved rates of on-task behavior at both class-wide and individual student levels, with corresponding increases in teacher praise and decreases in teacher reprimands. The positive way in which participants viewed CW-FIT implementation and its accompanying effects on student behaviors was consistent with earlier findings in elementary schools. Study limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Do organizational conditions influence teacher implementation of effective classroom management practices: Findings from a randomized trial

Although there is a growing evidence base about effective classroom management practices, teacher implementation of these practices varies due to a number of factors. A school's organizational health is one aspect of the broader social environment that has been hypothesized to influence implementation of interventions. Yet, empirical evidence is limited on whether organizational contexts can influence teacher implementation of effective interventions and subsequently, classroom environments and student outcomes. In the present study, teachers in an urban school district were randomly assigned to receive training in the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management program (IY TCM), a classroom management intervention. We examined how teacher perceptions of their school environment moderated intervention effects for previously established treatment outcomes – implementation of effective classroom methods, students' social behaviors, emotional regulation, and social competence. Results showed that treatment effects on teacher implementation and student outcomes were moderated by teachers' sense of affiliation to their school. Specifically, main effects on implementation of effective classroom management strategies were only observed among teachers whose perceptions of initial teacher affiliation was low or average; whereas main effects on student outcomes were only found for teachers with initial high levels of affiliation.

Effects of a classroom management intervention on student selective attention: results from a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTA main objective of classroom management (CM) is to raise students’ attention to their daily academic work by creating a classroom environment that supports academic and socioemotional learning. While studies have addressed CM effects on classroom-level behaviour or students’ academic outcomes, students’ attention skills been largely overlooked. This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of a teacher-targeted CM intervention on students’ selective attention. Twenty-four primary schools were randomized into receiving the Inclusive And Appreciative Classroom Management (IACM) intervention (treatment) or a general information technology (IT) didactics course (control condition). All participating 1st-grade teachers and their students (N = 1,160) were followed for 1 year. Using repeated measurements of the d2 Test of Attention, we find that the IACM intervention improves students’ selective attention with .26 standard deviations. The effect is robust to the inclusion of student- and classroom-level characteristics. All analyses account for the variation across students, classrooms, and schools.

Implementing a classroom management package in an urban middle school: A case study

Previous research has shown that a classroom management package can be used to prevent challenging behaviors and promote positive student behavior. Replicating and extending previous research, the purpose of this study was to investigate if a package of precorrection, explicit timing, and active supervision can have a positive effect across content areas and grade levels within an urban middle school. Utilizing 3 single-case AB designs, the effects of a classroom management intervention in 3 classrooms were observed on decreasing student disruptions and teacher redirections. Results indicated that the rates of student disruptions and teacher redirections decreased by more than 50% across the 3 classrooms. To evaluate consumer satisfaction within the intervention, we collected social validity data.

Maintenance and Generalization in Functional Behavior Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan Literature

School practitioners increasingly use functional behavior assessments to design behavior intervention plans when students engage in challenging behavior that is not improved by classroom management or standard interventions. Behavior intervention plans should aim to produce behavior change that maintains across time and generalizes to relevant contexts. In applied terms, maintenance occurs when a behavior continues to occur after the intervention is fully or partially withdrawn; generalization occurs when a learner engages in a trained behavior in an untrained context. This review examined the current status of maintenance and generalization in the school-based FBA/BIP literature and found that many school-based researchers continue to implement the intervention during the maintenance phase or in the generalization contexts. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

Behavior Bingo: The effects of a culturally relevant group contingency intervention for students with EBD

AbstractStudents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have difficulty with academic engagement during independent seatwork tasks. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Behavior Bingo, a novel interdependent group contingency intervention, on the academic engagement, off‐task, and disruptive behavior of students with EBD during independent seatwork in an urban alternative high school setting. During the intervention, the class collaborated to fill in a posted Bingo board contingent on demonstrating appropriate behavior. Using an ABAB withdrawal design in two classrooms, the Behavior Bingo intervention showed promise as a feasible and effective classroom management intervention. Given the urban setting and diverse sample of participants, implications for culturally relevant and responsive intervention are discussed, including the role of peers in culturally responsive intervention, the use of randomization and uncertainty, preference assessment, and engaging intervention components.

Persistent Classroom Management Training Needs of Experienced Teachers

Experienced special education teachers (n=62) were surveyed on their professional preparation to become effective classroom managers. Despite having received extensive preservice training, over 83% of the sample reported being underprepared in classroom management and behavioral interventions. No statistically significant difference was found with respect to the type of classroom management theoretical approach used to train these teachers. Of those (74.2%) who received classroom management training post-graduation, the majority (64%) reported needing still further training in dealing with student behavior. Specific training desired was in whole-class management strategies, as well as in managing behaviors of students with disabilities. Results suggest that teachers’ training needs in classroom management may persist throughout their professional careers, even following intensive preservice training.

Teaching classroom management – a potential public health intervention?

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of a classroom management course as a public health intervention. Improved socio-emotional skills may boost children’s developmental and academic trajectory, while the costs of behaviour problems are enormous for schools with considerable impact on others’ well-being.Design/methodology/approach– In total, 40 teachers attended the Incredible Years (IY) Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) intervention in groups of ten. Afterwards teachers attended focus groups and semi-structured interviews were completed with headteachers to explore whether TCM was feasible, relevant and useful, research processes were acceptable and if it influenced teachers’ practice and pupils. Teachers completed standardised questionnaires about their professional self-efficacy, burnout and well-being before and after attendance.Findings– In all, 37/40 teachers completed the course. Teachers valued sharing experiences, the support of colleagues in the group and time out to reflect on practice and rehearse new techniques. Most teachers reported that they applied the strategies with good effect in their classrooms. Teachers’ questionnaires suggested an improvement in their self-efficacy in relation to classroom management (p=0.03); other scales changed in the predicted direction but did not reach statistical significance.Research limitations/implications– Although preliminary and small, these feasibility study findings suggest that it was worthwhile proceeding to a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT).Practical implications– Should the RCT demonstrate effectiveness, then the intervention is an obvious candidate for implementation as a whole school approach.Originality/value– Successful intervention with one teacher potentially benefits every child that they subsequently teach and may increase the inclusion of socio-economically deprived children living in challenging circumstances in mainstream education.

The Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised

Schools are increasingly using multi-tiered prevention models to address the academic and behavior needs of students. The foundation of these models is the implementation of universal, or Tier 1, practices designed to support the academic and behavioral needs of the vast majority of students. To support teachers in the use of effective Tier 1 classroom practices, researchers and practitioners need reliable and valid measures of these practices that are sensitive to change over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised (BCIO-R), which is a direct observation measure of classroom Tier 1 instructional and classroom management practices for use in elementary school classrooms. Findings indicate that the BCIO-R can be reliably implemented in the classroom context. In addition, the measure is associated with important teacher-reported constructs such as efficacy in classroom management and burnout. Furthermore, the measure is sensitive to change as indicated by demonstration of improvement in classroom management variables among teachers who received a universal classroom management intervention versus teachers who did not receive training. Having reliable and valid measures to evaluate and monitor teacher use of universal classroom practices can be useful when consulting to support teachers and improve student outcomes.

Effects of Classroom Management Intervention Based on Teacher Training and Performance Feedback on Outcomes of Teacher-Student Dyads in Inclusive Classrooms

Teacher training and teacher quality are an important part of the education system, therefore there is a need for new training programs for teachers to gain new knowledge and skills and to support their professional development. In recent years, new programs have been developed to offer knowledge and experience to teachers, and different methods such as consulting to increase the effectiveness of these programs have been suggested. One of these methods is performance feedback which can desirably change teacher behaviors and offer teachers opportunities to experience applying these newly learned methods in their classrooms. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of performance feedback (PF) which was given daily to teachers following their training in classroom management strategies on the outcome of teacher-student dyads. This study was conducted using three teachers working in mainstreaming classes and their students with special needs. A single-subject design, the multiple-probe design with probe conditions across subjects, and the one group pretest/ post-test design were used to complete the research goal. As a result, performance feedback was found to have positive effects on teacher-use of target classroom management skills (individualization, transitions, and reinforcement). It was seen that intervention increased the preventive classroom management skills and classroom behaviors of teachers. Regarding the outcome for the children, the intervention program increased academic engagement and positive behaviors, while decreasing negative behaviors. Teacher opinions related to the performance feedback intervention were generally positive. Finally, social comparison data indicated that the intervention was socially valid, and by the end of the study the students who were participants in the research displayed more positive behaviors and less negative behaviors than the social comparison groups.

Examination of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Role as a Behavioral Consultant Within the School Setting

Management of disruptive behaviors is one of the many challenges and stressors faced by teachers within the school setting. Most teachers lack sufficient training and understanding of behavioral symptoms exhibited by students in the classrooms. Teachers often find themselves reacting to disruptive behaviors as opposed to preventing the occurrence of these behaviors, which compromises the therapeutic learning environment and leads to inappropriate referral of students for psychiatric evaluations. Minimum efforts have been channeled toward the enhancement of teachers’ knowledge of disruptive behaviors and classroom management strategies for students who exhibit disruptive behaviors. A review of the literature was conducted to examine current knowledge on the problem of managing disruptive behaviors exhibited by students in the classroom and interventions to change and improve current practice in school settings. The development of a classroom management intervention by a psychiatric-mental health (PMH) advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) behavioral consultant within the school setting will be discussed. Provision of a classroom management intervention by a PMH APRN behavioral consultant in the school setting enhances teachers’ knowledge of disruptive behaviors, improves classroom management, and facilitates appropriate referrals of students for psychiatric evaluation.

Using Coaching to Support Teacher Implementation of Classroom-based Interventions

Despite the growing evidence base for the efficacy of preventive interventions, the level of implementation of these interventions in schools is often less than optimal. One promising approach to supporting teachers in implementation of interventions is the use of coaching. In this study, teachers were trained in a universal classroom management intervention and provided ongoing coaching. The association between the type and amount of coaching activities and teacher implementation of proactive classroom management over time were investigated. Results indicated that teachers who received more performance feedback had higher levels of implementation over time in comparison with teachers who received less feedback. In addition, a significant interaction between the amount of coaching a teacher received and his or her implementation of proactive classroom management was found. Increased implementation over time was observed for teachers with lower initial levels of implementation who received more coaching, whereas implementation decreased over time for teachers who received less coaching. The importance of coaching as a support system for enhancing implementation quality of classroom-based preventive interventions is discussed.

Illustrating the Multiple Facets and Levels of Fidelity of Implementation to a Teacher Classroom Management Intervention

Many school-based interventions to promote student mental health rely on teachers as implementers. Thus, understanding the interplay between the multiple domains of fidelity to the intervention and intervention support systems such as coaching and teacher implementation of new skills is an important aspect of implementation science. This study describes a systematic process for assessing multiple domains of fidelity. Data from a larger efficacy trial of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) program are utilized. Data on fidelity to the IY TCM workshop training sessions and onsite weekly coaching indicate that workshop leaders and the IY TCM coach implemented the training and coaching model with adequate adherence. Further, workshop leaders' ratings of engagement were associated with teacher implementation of specific praise, following training on this content. Lastly, the IY TCM coach differentiation of teacher exposure to coaching was evaluated and found to be associated with teacher implementation of classroom management practices and student disruptive behavior.

Working on What Works: enhancing relationships in the classroom and improving teacher confidence

Working on What Works (WOWW) is a solution-oriented classroom management intervention. Following an outline of Berg and Shilts’ WOWW programme in the United States, this paper reviews and evaluates WOWW, which has been implemented as a classroom intervention strategy in a Scottish local authority since 2007. Qualitative analysis of the comments of children and teachers from 12 classes suggests that WOWW may be an effective classroom management intervention that helps teachers to feel more confident and also produces tangible improvements in the way children work and behave. Children also report positive differences in how they perceive their class and teacher.