Perceptions Of Student Behavior Research Articles

Student perceptions of behavior and discipline: a PBIS survey for student voice

Student voice is essential for PBIS, but a tool for gathering students’ perspectives of PBIS is not available in the literature. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a universal–level PBIS survey for students, the Student Perceptions of Behavior and Discipline (StPBD). This survey was designed to mobilize student engagement and guide implementation with cultural and contextual fit. Survey development was informed by literature review, feedback from users and researchers, pilot tests, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Analyses of items designed to measure aspects of school climate, student–staff relationships, and family connections confirmed these three distinct factors. Linear mixed–effect analyses revealed significant relationships between the survey, student perceptions of PBIS practices in the school, school level, discipline, and gender identity.

A Gendered and Racialized Educational Hierarchy: Disparities in Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Behavior

Abstract This paper uses an intersectional framework to account for the degree to which race, when intersecting gender, relates to teachers’ evaluations of US elementary school children over time. Drawing on longitudinal data from the 2011 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort, we employ growth curve modeling to study descriptive trends in teacher perceptions of student behavior from kindergarten through fifth grade. We find that educators’ perceptions of White, Asian American, and Latinx girls increase over time, while their perceptions of Black girls remain flat. Meanwhile, a different longitudinal trend emerges among boys. Although teachers’ views of Black boys decrease over time, their views of other boys increase to the levels of Black girls, or higher, by the end of fifth grade. This analysis reveals how teachers’ perceptions coalesce into an emerging hierarchy that—by the end of fifth grade—most sharply contrasts the behavior of Asian American girls and Black boys. Our intersectional approach and the theoretical framework informing it underscore the limits to considering how educators distinguish students by gender or race alone. Together, gender and race more fully account for differences in how educators perceive student behavior over time.

Deviant behaviour of adolescents as a manifestation of individual anomie: Social and gender aspects of the problem

Introduction. The present paper continues the line of research related to the various forms of anomie in Russian society. In the proposed study, individual forms of anomie manifestation are considered on the example of deviant behaviour of adolescents (students aged 13-17 years old) depending on the gender and mechanisms of its perception by teachers of educational institutions (mental representation of the phenomenon).The aim of the research is to identify the main forms of individual anomie (as deviant behaviour of adolescents) from the standpoint of the teachers' perceptions of student behavior (mental representation of the behaviour of adolescents, depending on the factor of their gender and deviant / prosocial type of behaviour).Methodology and research methods. To obtain sociological data, the following methods were used: questionnaire survey, focused interview, testing. Further, the obtained results were processed by mathematical processing methods (the Fisher analysis of variance (type III SS, polynomial effect)). The influence and interaction of gender factors and the type of deviant/ prosocial behaviour in adolescents (through the mental representation of this phenomenon by teachers of educational organisations) were considered. The current research involved 1643 students aged from 13 to 17 years old and 832 teachers.Results and scientific novelty. As a result of the conducted research, it was determined that the most pronounced forms of deviant behaviour of modern adolescents in the perception of teachers of educational organisations are smoking and absenteeism. This deviant behaviour of adolescents aged 13-17 years old can be considered as the manifestation of individual anomie (in the perception of teachers as “abnormal”). The structure of adolescents' deviant behaviour in the “deviant” group differs more from the structure of adolescents' behaviour in the “prosocial” group. The gender factor of the research participants has a significant impact on the structure of teachers' perception of the behaviour of adolescents in the group of “deviant” and “prosocial” types of behaviour.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time the authors of the study considered the deviant behaviour of adolescents as the manifestation of individual anomie. Moreover, for the first time, the authors investigated the structure of deviant behaviour of adolescents aged 13-17 years old (with differentiation by gender) and identified the features of the “norm” of behaviour of adolescents in the Russian Federation in the perception of teachers of educational organisations. This allows us to identify the system-forming factors, which influence the attribution of adolescent behaviour to the category of “norm/normality” (as manifestations of anomie), and to consider the mechanisms of teachers' mental representation of the “deviant/prosocial” type of student behaviour, depending on gender.

Teacher Coaching in a Simulated Environment

This article evaluates whether providing coaching between practice sessions in teacher education courses leads to more rapid development of skills and changes in teachers’ beliefs about student behavior, using mixed-reality simulations as a practice space and standardized assessment platform. We randomly assigned 105 prospective teachers to different coaching conditions between simulation sessions integrated into a teacher preparation program. Coached candidates had significant and large improvements on skills relative to those who only reflected on their teaching. We also observe significant coaching effects on candidates’ perceptions of student behavior and ideas about next steps for addressing perceived behavioral issues. Findings suggest that skills with which novices struggle can improve with coaching and do not have to be learned “on the job.”

The relative impact of school‐wide positive behavior support on teachers’ perceptions of student behavior across schools, teachers, and students

AbstractSchool‐wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a systemic approach for implementing a proactive schoolwide discipline and for improving students’ academic and behavioral outcomes by targeting the school’s organizational and social culture. With a multilevel approach, the present study evaluates the relative effectiveness of SWPBS on teachers’ perceptions of the student behavior (N = 3,295) across schools, teachers, and children using a multilevel approach. We assessed teacher perception of student problem behavior five times during a 3‐year implementation of SWPBS in 23 Dutch schools. Multilevel analyses not only revealed a small increase in perceived prosocial behavior and a small decrease in problems with peers, but also different effects across children, teachers, and schools. Effects were stronger for girls and for students with higher severity of perceived problems at baseline. At teachers’ level, higher mean baseline severity of perceived problems was associated with the reduced impact of SWPBS on perceived emotional problems and problems with peers. At the school level, effects were stronger for regular schools as compared with special needs schools.

Measuring Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Behavior Using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders in Middle School Students

Universal screening serves to identify students at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties while their behavior is still amenable to treatment. However, there are few universal screeners available for middle school students who may be at heightened risk for developing emotional and behavioral difficulties due to major academic and social challenges. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), often considered the gold standard for behavior screeners, was recently validated for use in middle schools. However, there is little research on the reliability and validity of the SSBD for screening middle school students and the differences among teachers of different academic subjects. The purpose of this study was to extend the previous research validating the SSBD assessing its technical adequacy and sensitivity in middle school students among teachers of different academic subjects. Results indicated that the SSBD provided reliable and valid evidence for identifying at-risk middle school students. This study provided evidence that the SSBD identified internalizing and externalizing students with a similar degree of accuracy.

#Blackwomenatwork: Teaching and Retention in Urban Schools

Black female educators played a vital role in segregated schools prior to the 1954 landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Despite their notable and historic presence in the field of public education, presently they are disproportionately underrepresented in the U.S. teacher workforce. Acknowledging the shortage of Black female teachers in K-12 classrooms, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore why Black female educators teach in urban schools. By examining Black female educators’ initial draw to urban schools in what I conceptualized as the urban factor, I hope to reframe the implicit biases often surrounding urban schools. Concluding, three themes emerged about Black female teachers’ thoughts on and preferences for urban schools, with additional unexpected findings about their perceptions of student behavior and teacher retention.

An exploration of the relationships between student racial background and the school sub-contexts of office discipline referrals: a critical race theory analysis

A growing body of research indicates that exclusionary school discipline practices disproportionately impact students of color. Some scholars have theorized that racial disparities likely vary across school sub-contexts, as implicit bias in perceptions of student behavior may be more influential in locations where students and adults have weaker relationships (e.g. bathrooms and hallways, compared to the classroom). Guided by Critical Race Theory, this study used administrative data from a large urban school district (n = 20,166 discipline incidents, 9,170 students, and 185 schools) to consider the relationship between student race and the locations where youth are disciplined. Results indicate that Black, Latino/a, and Multiracial youth were no more likely than White students to have a discipline incident take place outside the classroom. These findings suggest attention is needed to the role of systemic bias and colorblind policies and practices in discipline disparities.

SCALE-UP OF SAFE & CIVIL SCHOOLS’ MODEL FOR SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS

This study evaluated the scale-up of a Safe & Civil Schools Foundations: Establishing Positive Discipline Policies positive behavioral interventions and supports initiative through 4 years of “real-world” implementation in a large urban school district. The study extends results from a previous randomized controlled trial that established the effectiveness of the Safe & Civil Schools program in 32 elementary schools in the same district. This study emphasizes the application and evaluation of the program in regular district schools. Four-year results indicate that elementary, middle, and high schools experienced moderate but steady improvements in (a) school discipline, (b) student safety policy and training, (c) staff perceptions of student behavior, and (d) student suspension and chronic tardiness rates. With few exceptions, improvements occurred after schools began Safe & Civil Schools Foundations training, and more years of training were associated with larger cumulative improvements in school and student outcomes. Given that similar effects were observed in schools with and without random assignment of training, and only after training began, we concluded that the improvements stem from Safe & Civil School's Foundations training.

For All You Do, This Article is For You: Thoughts on Optimizing and Evolving Treatment Evaluation

This preliminary research focuses on the perceptions of academic staff working in residential settings with youth who have experienced psychological trauma. The article provides the psychometric properties of three instruments that assess academic staff perceptions of student behavior (TPSB), awareness of trauma (TTS), and responses to student behavior (TRSB). These measures can be used to assess academic staff readiness in working with traumatized students. Measurement validity/reliability were established using a sample of 26 academic staff whose school was affiliated with a publically funded residential treatment center. Factor analyses indicated that scales were comprised of questions that were adequately correlated; each scale reliably measured its own individual construct (i.e., staff perceptions, awareness, responses). Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient demonstrated that scales were reliable for measuring each construct, where the TPSB resulted in α= 0.83 for its “acting out” and “shutting down” subscales, the TTS had α = 0.91, the TRSB resulted in α = 0.79 for the “acting out” subscale, and α = 0.81 for the “shutting down” subscale. These instruments may be useful for teachers and academic staff working with traumatized students, particularly in residential treatment settings.

Recognizing Academic Potential in Students of Color

Students of color are often underrepresented in academic programs for gifted and talented students. This study explored the impact of The Teacher’s Observation of Potential in Students (TOPS) tool on teachers’ ability to systematically observe and document the academic strengths of 5- to 9-year-old students across nine domains. Teachers indicated that without the TOPS, they would have overlooked the academic potential of 22% (1,741) of their children of color and 53% of African American boys, in particular. After using the TOPS, a majority of the teachers (74%) felt they could more readily recognize high-potential students from culturally or linguistically different and economically disadvantaged families. Barriers that might have kept teachers from seeing students’ strengths were also examined. Results indicate two statistically significant relationships between teacher race and perceptions of student behavior. This study has implications for supporting teachers’ more effective identification of strengths in all children.

General Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Behavior Management and Intervention Strategies

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with kindergarten and first-grade general education teachers to determine their perceptions of student behavior. This study describes the teachers’ perspectives of and approaches to behavior management and intervention strategies (e.g., use of praise, rewards, implementation of classroom management, and knowledge about PBIS and RTI). A unique contribution of this study is the in-depth data that provide specific descriptions of the teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicated that the teachers in this study tended to concentrate more on individual student behavior when describing behavior management strategies than on group or schoolwide behavior. In addition, the teachers were unfamiliar with RTI and PBIS despite training occurring in the system on these initiatives during the study. Lastly, the teachers perceived themselves as strong influences on student behavior development and described the use of positive strategies. Meeting teachers’ training needs for implementation of schoolwide PBIS and topics for future research are discussed.

Teachers Closing the Discipline Gap in an Urban Middle School

This study focuses on student discipline as related to the perceptions, work, and backgrounds of effective Black and White teachers. The article expands current knowledge by reporting findings from a case study of 4 teachers (2 African Americans and 2 Whites) employed in an urban, predominately African American middle school. Interviews, field visits, and documents were analyzed according to guidelines created by Miles and Huberman (1994) and collectively point to four themes: (a) learning-based perceptions of student behavior, (b) the role of preservice teacher preparation, (c) the influence of remembered teachers and teacher mentors, and (d) outreach efforts to students' parents and families. The study's implications for future scholarship and practice are considered.

Teacher perceptions of student behavior as a function of class size

In an attempt to describe class size effects on student behavior that might be predictable from one setting to the next, the author proposes a social psychology framework. He hypothesizes that social loafing, deindividuation, and social facilitation can explain patterns of student participation, off-task behavior, and in-class performance, respectively, as a function of the size of the class. Data from interviews with eight middle-school teachers suggest that these concepts are marginally applicable to the behaviors in question. At the same time, other class size effects on student behavior are described which may be inherent in class size and thus be reasonably predictable.

The Code of Professional Conduct: Instructional Impact on Accounting Students' Ethical Perceptions and Attitudes

Abstract A profession's code is important not only for assurances of technical competence but also for socialization into the profession. In this study, the ability of accounting students to evaluate ethical professional behavior after receiving instruction in the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct was investigated. Also, the socialization of accounting students into the profession was assessed by examining their judgments as to the ethical behavior of practicing CPAs. The findings indicate that even limited ethics instruction can alter student perceptions of behavior. Time after instruction appears to be an important element, perhaps indicating the necessity for students to internalize the learning experience as well as for the increased socialization taking place during the intervening period.

Psychotherapy as an approach to special education prevention: Perceptions of student behavior.

This study investigated the impact of one year of psychotherapy, used in an attempt to avoid special education referral, on teachers' and psychotherapists' perceptions of student disruptiveness and withdrawal. Results indicated that psychotherapists perceived improvement in both types of behavior, while teachers did not. Possible reasons for this perceptual difference are discussed.

The development of nonverbal communication in the classroom: Teachers' perceptions of students in grades K‐12

This study examined teachers' perceptions of nonverbal behaviors of their students in a developmental paradigm. Over nine hundred teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade estimated the percentage of students who engaged in eleven nonverbal classroom behaviors of two types. Results show a number of significant developmental changes in students' nonverbal communication behavior as perceived by teachers. The data also demonstrate that teachers' gestalt perceptions of student behavior are generally consistent with previous data based on direct behavioral observations.

Teacher Perceptions of Student Behavior, Social Environment, and Cognitive Performance

Summary Regression surface analysis was used to examine relationships between teacher perceptions of school related behavior and children's academic achievement at different levels of intelligence, social status, and family environment. Data were collected as part of a national survey of 11-, 12-, and 15-year-old English schoolchildren (N = approximately 3000). The regression surfaces were constructed from models which examined possible linear, curvilinear, and interaction relations between the variables. In the analysis the Jackknife technique was used to adjust the significance levels. Two propositions are suggested by the results that (a) at each level of intelligence and social environment, changes in the teacher perceptions of student behavior are associated with modest changes in academic achievement, and (b) at each level of teacher perceptions, increases in intelligence and social environment scores are related to sizable increments in academic achievement.