Observations Of Classroom Behavior Research Articles

Making the Invisible Visible: Using a Contextual Measurement Approach to Identify Children With Social-Emotional and Behavioral Needs in Preschool Classrooms

Best practices in early childhood include using measures to identify children’s social-emotional and behavioral needs within routine, naturalistic preschool contexts. Aligned with best practices, we examined the combined utility of two contextual measures, a teacher report and a direct observation of classroom behavior, in the context of interactions with teachers, peers, and learning tasks. Latent profile analysis ( N = 527 children) identified four profile groups: (a) well-adjusted and positively engaged, (b) high externalizing and conflict engagement, (c) adequately adjusted/mildly disengaged in learning tasks, and (d) elevated internalizing behavior and low engagement. Children’s profile classification was associated concurrently with emotion regulation and social competence. Teachers independently reported on children’s social-emotional or academic concerns. Teachers’ reports of social-emotional concerns comported for children in the externalizing profile but did not comport for the internalizing group. Findings illustrate the utility of a contextual assessment approach for early identification and intervention, particularly for children who display internalizing behavior.

Sleep, Classroom Behavior, and Achievement Among Children of Color in Historically Disinvested Neighborhoods.

Children of color are more likely to have poor sleep health than White children, placing them at risk for behavioral problems in the classroom and lower academic performance. Few studies, however, have utilized standardized measures of both classroom behavior and achievement. This study examined whether children's sleep (parent and teacher report) in first grade concurrently related to independent observations of classroom behavior and longitudinally predicted achievement test scores in second grade in a sample of primarily Black (86%) children (n=572; age=6.8) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Higher teacher-reported child sleepiness was associated with lower adaptive behaviors and higher problem behaviors in the classroom, and predicted lower achievement. Parent-reported bedtime resistance and disordered breathing also predicted lower achievement.

A cluster randomized trial of the Social Skills Improvement System-Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) in first grade.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a universal social skills program, the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP; Elliott & Gresham, 2007), for students in first grade. Classrooms from 6 elementary schools were randomly assigned to treatment or business-as-usual control conditions. Teachers assigned to the treatment condition implemented the SSIS-CIP over a 12-week period. Students’ social skills, problem behaviors, and approaches to learning were assessed via teacher ratings and direct observations of classroom behavior. In addition, their early literacy and numeracy skills were measured via computer-adaptive standardized tests. SSIS-CIP participation yielded small positive effects in students’ social skills (particularly empathy and social engagement) and approaches to learning (academic motivation and engagement). Students’ problem behaviors and academic skills, however, were unaffected by SSIS-CIP exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

A Review of the Clinical Utility of Systematic Behavioral Observations in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

This review evaluates the clinical utility of tools for systematic behavioral observation in different settings for children and adolescents with ADHD. A comprehensive search yielded 135 relevant results since 1990. Observations from naturalistic settings were grouped into observations of classroom behavior (n = 58) and of social interactions (n = 25). Laboratory observations were subdivided into four contexts: independent play (n = 9), test session (n = 27), parent interaction (n = 11), and peer interaction (n = 5). Clinically relevant aspects of reliability and validity of employed instruments are reviewed. The results confirm the usefulness of systematic observations. However, no procedure can be recommended as a stand-alone diagnostic method. Psychometric properties are often unsatisfactory, which reduces the validity of observational methods, particularly for measuring treatment outcome. Further efforts are needed to improve the specificity of observational methods with regard to the discrimination of comorbidities and other disorders.

Profiles of Problem Behavior in Children With Varying Language Ability

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between language behavior in students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders. School-age students in K-4 grades ( N = 300, 76% male) were sampled across three school districts. Students were grouped based on oral language ability and measured on teacher-rated subscales of problem behavior and direct observation of classroom behavior. Profile analyses revealed that language ability was associated with direct observation measures of classroom behaviors. Lower language was associated with higher rates of aggression, and higher language was associated with higher rates of academic engagement. Incongruent results relative to teacher-rated and directly observed behavior, limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.

Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Are There Gender Differences in School Functioning?

Few studies have comprehensively examined possible gender differences in the school functioning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated differences in academic, social, and emotional and behavioral functioning between 133 male and 42 female elementary school students who met research diagnostic criteria for ADHD. School functioning was assessed using teacher ratings, direct observations of classroom behavior, and a standardized, norm-referenced achievement test. Results indicated that participants, regardless of gender, experienced impairment across all functioning domains. The few gender differences obtained varied across areas of functioning and were dependent, in part, on the type of score and comparison group used. Specifically, although girls were less likely to have ADHD than were boys, when they did exhibit this disorder, their impairments were as severe, or possibly more severe, than for boys relative to non-ADHD peers of the same gender. Implications of these findings for school-based practice and research are discussed.

Classroom attention in children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus: The effect of stabilizing serum glucose

To determine whether stabilizing serum glucose, via introduction of an insulin pump, improves classroom attention among children with type-1 diabetes mellitus. Four boys having type-1 diabetes mellitus with unstable serum glucose were observed in their classroom for 10 baseline days. An insulin pump was placed and serum glucose stabilized, and they were then observed again for 10 days. A modified multiple baseline design was used to determine if improved on-task and off-task behavior was associated with better glycemic control. Rating scales and a laboratory measure of attention, measures of secondary interest, were also administered before and after pump introduction, and potential improvement in individuals' scores was evaluated. All boys had apparent improvement in on-task and off-task behavior as observed in their classrooms. Improvements were substantial, averaging 20% in on-task behavior and 34% in off-task behavior. However, no changes were detected on rating scales or laboratory measures. This study offers preliminary evidence that stabilizing serum glucose improves classroom attention, although the effect was detected only by observation of classroom behavior using highly structured techniques. Consequently, use of direct observation techniques may be important in studying the effects of chronic illness on classroom functioning.

Comparison of DSM-IV ADHD Combined and Predominantly Inattention Types: Correspondence Between Teacher Ratings and Direct Observations of Inattentive, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity, Slow Cognitive Tempo, Oppositional Defiant, and Overt Conduct Disorder Symptoms

ABSTRACT The study examined the correspondence between teacher ratings and direct observations of inattention (I), hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I), oppositional defiant disorder/overt conduct disorder (ODD/overt CD), and slow cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms. Teacher ratings of kindergarten children on the DSM-IV I and H/I symptoms were first used to create an ADHD-combined type (CT), ADHD-predominantly inattention type (IT), and a comparison group (CG). Direct observations of classroom behavior showed the CT and IT groups to be similar in I symptoms and significantly higher than the CG. Direct observations also showed the CT group to be significantly higher on the H/I and ODD/overt CD symptoms than IT and CG with the latter two groups not differing on the HI and ODD/overt CD symptoms. There was also evidence that the SCT symptoms were uniquely associated with the IT of ADHD. The implications of these results for the DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and the importance of direct observations in the study of ADHD are discussed.

Reliability and Validity of Parent and Teacher Ratings of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms

The reliability and criterion-related validity of the Home and School versions of the AD/HD Rating Scale-IV were evaluated in a nonreferred sample of 71 students. Parent and teacher ratings were obtained 4 weeks apart at a time contemporaneous with observations of classroom behavior and academic productivity. Results indicated adequate levels of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and cross-informant agreement for both parent and teacher ratings. Teacher ratings were significantly correlated with classroom observational data, and parent ratings were primarily related to behavior ratings. The discriminant validity of these scales also was examined in a sample of 92 clinic-referred children. Both the Home and School versions of the AD/HD Rating Scale-IV were found to discriminate significantly between children with and without AD/HD. The AD/HD Rating Scale-IV appears to have adequate psychometric properties for the screening and assessment of AD/HD.

Parent and Teacher Ratings of ADHD Symptoms: Psychometric Properties in a Community-Based Sample

Obtained data from parents and teachers for a large sample of urban school children aged 6 to 12 years on the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale, and collected criterion measures (e.g., direct observations of classroom behavior, academic achievement scores) on a smaller subsample. The ADHD Rating Scale was found to be a highly reliable questionnaire with adequate criterion-related validity. Strong differences between boys and girls were evident with respect to the frequency of ADHD symptomatology. The ADHD Rating Scale should be useful as one component of a multimodal assessment approach that would include rating scales surveying both general and specific areas of psychopathology.

Children’s Social and Academic Competence

Interpersonal problem-solving ability (IPS), assertiveness, and self-esteem were assessed for 128 boys and 113 girls in fourth to sixth grades and related to competence with peers, teachers, and academic subjects. A sub-packet factor analysis and a correlational analysis of children’s scores on IPS, assertiveness, and self-esteem revealed assertiveness as a distinct factor with considerable overlap between IPS and self-esteem. Significant positive correlations were found between each factor and grade point average, teacher ratings of comportment, and observations of classroom behavior, but not peer status. These results suggest further research in two areas: (a) the domain specificity of social competence, and (b) analysis of individual children’s profiles of skill deficits and strengths.

Different Logo Learning Environments and Mastery:

This study examined whether a widely used classroom observation instrument would differentiate fifth grade classrooms in which Logo was taught using a structured or an unstructured teaching method. The Logo classrooms were also compared to traditional classrooms. It was previously demonstrated that the structured group demonstrated significantly better mastery of Logo. Although there were differences between the Logo classrooms and traditional situations, no differences were found between the two different Logo environments even though the students in the two Logo classes showed different degrees of Logo mastery. The findings have specific implications for studies of transfer. Since observation of classroom behavior does not differentiate between efficacy of learning, specific measures of Logo mastery must be obtained before transfer claims related to Logo are made. Additionally, there is a need for development of monitoring systems to measure learning in Logo classrooms, as well as for the modification of traditional observational systems if we desire to make observationallybased statements about different Logo learning environments.

A followup study of the academic attainment and classroom behavior of children with elevated dentine lead levels

To investigate the impact of low-level lead exposure on children's behavior within a natural setting, we assessed the school performance of a sample of 141 elementary school children classified according to dentine lead level. Twenty-two children had "elevated" levels (≥20 parts per million), 71 had "midrange" levels (10.0-19.9 parts per million), and 48 had "low" levels (<10 parts per million). Four types of outcome data were collected: (1) scores on a standardized group intelligence test, (2) teachers' ratings, (3) incidence of academic failure (assignment to remedial aid, grade retention), and (4) observations of classroom behavior. In general, higher dentine lead levels were associated with less favorable school performance, with most covariance-adjustedp-values in the range of 0.05-0.15. The incidence of grade retention was the outcome most strongly related to lead level. The pattern of results suggests a consistent, though weak relationship between children's dentine lead levels and elementary school performance.

Correspondence of teacher ratings and direct observations of classroom behavior of psychiatric inpatient children.

The present investigation examined the correspondence of teacher ratings and direct observations of classroom behavior. Teachers, extraclass raters, and observers completed standard rating scales and/or measures of overt classroom behaviors of psychiatric inpatient children (N = 32). The study assessed if the correspondence between ratings and direct observations was influenced by who evaluates the child (teachers, raters) and the assessment format (general ratings, discrete behaviors). The results indicated that (1) measures from different assessors correlated in the low to moderate range, (2) data from extraclass raters corresponded more closely with direct observations than with data from teachers, (3) teacher and rater estimates of overt child behavior did not correlate more highly with direct observations than did standard rating scales, and (4) teachers and raters viewed child behavior as more appropriate than direct observations indicated. Measures from teachers, raters, and observers readily distinguished attention deficit disorder children with hyperactivity from their peers. However, teacher evaluations delineated these children more sharply than other assessors.

Types of Behavior Problems that May be Encountered in the Classroom

This paper provides an overview of the different patterns of behavior problems that teachers are likely to encounter in the classroom. Different systems for categorizing learning and behavioral problems are considered from the standpoint of whether they involve behaviors that can be observed in the classroom or psychological constructs that must be inferred by mental health specialists. The four behavioral dimensions from the Quay system — personality problems, conduct problems, inadequate-immature behaviors, and socialized delinquency — appear relevant, since they deal with stable behavioral patterns that can be rated reliably in the classroom. Severe emotional problems are also discussed, along with learning disabilities and social misperception, to complete the coverage of behavioral problems. The paper concludes with a few suggestions for informal observation of classroom behavior and specific recommendations for further reading on this topic.

Human responses to highway noise

Some potential effects of the proposed extension of a major highway near a university campus were evaluated, with the expected increased levels of ambient traffic sound as the major independent variable. On self-reports, observation of classroom behavior, and in data collected during a 5-day dormitory field experiment, increased ambient sound had adverse effects on social interaction in group problem-solving and in the classroom, and on subjective reactions. No reliable changes were found on individual cognitive performance on brief tests, nor in pulse rate. The study demonstrates the need for careful, long-duration, multi-variable psychological research as a part of environmental impact predictions of major construction projects.

Direct observation of classroom behavior

In this paper we have examined the uses to which direct observation has been put in the study of classroom processes, and taken note of several observation systems possessing a variety of distinct attributes. Problems encountered in the use of observation, chiefly those of obtaining accurate and stable measures, were explored.

Assessment of individual functioning through classroom observation. The clinician in the preschool setting.

THE Work of the child psychiatrist focuses primarily upon the direct observation of children's behavior in 1:1 interviews or play sessions. Recently, with increasing interest in community psychiatry and the emergence of consultative relationships with schools, there is greater need for rapprochement between the insights afforded by the clinical interview and those arrived at through observation of classroom behavior. Can clinicians develop economically feasible methods for assessing the psychosocial functioning of large numbers of school children? Such methods, if they are to have wide applicability, must be relevant to educational settings, and must facilitate interdisciplinary communication between clinicians and educators. The present study was initiated to begin answering the question posed above. It was conducted in a research preschool whose primary mission was the study of factors which bear upon the development of competence in inner-city black children. Over the last four years, experience has led us to focus on