Student On-task Behavior Research Articles

We're all in this together now: Group performance feedback to increase classroom team data collection

This study's primary goal was to evaluate the use of performance feedback procedures delivered to a classroom team to increase daily data collection. Performance feedback (PFB) was delivered to four classroom teams responsible for the daily collection of data representing student performance during prescribed instructional activities. Using a multiple-baseline design, the effects of the team performance-feedback were evaluated for the target student, and for generalization to data collection for all classroom students. A secondary question evaluated if student on-task behavior correlated with increased data collection. Finally, social validity was investigated to evaluate team satisfaction with the PFB intervention. The results demonstrate improved data collection across all four classroom teams for the target student in each classroom and generalization within classrooms to all remaining students. Slight increases in student on-task behavior were observed in three of the four classrooms, and teacher satisfaction ratings were high.

The Biasing Effects of Labels on Direct Observation by Preservice Teachers

Observational bias can significantly affect results attained through observation. This study focused on 122 preservice teacher educators who conducted a structured observation, using momentary time sampling procedures with 10-second intervals, to measure student on-task and off-task behaviors. The experimental variable altered was the exceptionality label of the observed student to determine if the label would have a biasing effect. Labels used were oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and gifted/talented. Results suggest that an exceptionality label (i.e., oppositional defiant disorder) significantly affects observed behavior. Practical implications of the study are discussed.

Effects of Numbered Heads Together on the Daily Quiz Scores and On-Task Behavior of Students with Disabilities

Previous research has demonstrated that Numbered Heads Together, a cooperative learning strategy, is more effective than traditional teacher-led instruction in academic areas such as social studies and science. The current study compared the effects of two types of Numbered Heads Together strategies with a baseline condition during 7th grade language arts lessons. Results indicated that three students with various disabilities had higher percent intervals of on-task behavior and daily quiz scores during either Heads Together condition. Teacher satisfaction ratings suggested that Heads Together was easy to implement, and all three students preferred this strategy to baseline instruction. A discussion of study limitations, implications, and future research directions is included.

Classwide PBIS for Students with EBD: Initial Evaluation of an Integrity Tool

The purpose of this pilot project was to develop a tool and a process for providing performance feedback on evidence-based classroom management strategies to teachers of students in emotional support classrooms. The project was carried out with nine classroom teachers and descriptive results are discussed. Initial results found increases in treatment integrity after the first round of performance feedback and increases in student on-task behaviors. The evaluation procedures mirrored the screening approach taken within a response-to-intervention model (i.e., benchmark screening three times a year). The potential for "scaling-up" the techniques of assessing treatment integrity and providing performance feedback, in relation to the implementation of classroom management strategies, is discussed.

Using Opportunities to Respond in a General Education Classroom: A Case Study

In this study researchers examined a teacher's use of opportunities to respond in a 5th grade general education classroom setting. Using an ABA single subject design, the effects of a choral responding procedure and increased rate of delivering questions with an elementary aged student identified as at-risk for emotional or behavior disorders were examined. Results indicated that when the teacher increased the rates of opportunities to respond, the student's on-task behavior and correct responses increased, while the student's disruptive behavior decreased. A discussion of limitations and future research directions is included.

Examining the Agreement of Direct Behavior Ratings and Systematic Direct Observation Data for On-Task and Disruptive Behavior

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous findings indicating a moderate association between teacher perceptions of behavior as measured by direct behavior ratings (DBRs) and systematic direct observation (SDO) conducted by an external observer. In this study, data regarding student on-task and disruptive behavior were collected via SDO from trained external observers and via DBRs from classroom teachers. Data were collected across 15 teachers and three observation sessions, and the agreement between the two methods was compared as a way to examine concurrent validity. Results supported previous work suggesting that DBRs are significantly correlated with SDO data, thereby suggesting that the DBR might be used as a compatible tool with SDO. Implications for practice, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

Using Structural Analysis and Academic-Based Intervention for a Student at Risk of EBD

This single-case experiment used structural analysis to confirm the instructional conditions in which a third-grade student's problem behaviors occurred. At the time of the study, the student was under consideration for special education referral for an emotional or behavioral disorder. Interviews and preliminary direct observation data suggested that the problem behaviors were triggered by writing assignments. An experimental structural analysis confirmed strong relations between the student's problem behaviors and written expression tasks. Results from the analysis facilitated a classwide academic intervention designed to increase the target student's on-task behaviors during written expression tasks. A single-subject alternating treatments design revealed compelling improvements in the amount of time the student engaged in written expression tasks that were preceded by strategy instruction.

Sınıf İçi Gözlem Araç ve Teknikleri: Kavramsal Bir Çözümleme

In present days, it is seen that the emphasis that activities of the inspection and the evaluation can not be made only by the ways of forms, increases. Anyhow the happening in education environment should be observed better; the background story should be put forth for considerations are stated. At this point, observation, observation in class and new evaluation techniques are required to be used. In this context, the aim of this work is to give information about observation techniques in class which can be used in inspection and evaluation activities. For this purpose, primarily observation and observation concept in class are explained. Subsequently, it is given information about observation techniques in class. In this work, 11 observation techniques in class are tried to be described. These techniques are; Teacher Verbal Behaviors, Teacher Questions, Student On-Task and Off-Task Behaviors, Diagram of Verbal Flow,

Preventing Disruptive Behavior in the Urban Classroom: Effects of the Good Behavior Game on Student and Teacher Behavior

Teachers are oen ill-prepared to manage classrooms in urban schools. In the present study, an empirically-based behavioral management strategy, the Good Behavior Game (Game), was investigated. The effects of the Game on student behavior and teacher response statements, including praise, were examined. A teacher with 22 students in a first grade classroom of an urban elementary school participated in implementation of the Game. Using a withdrawal design, results showed that student on-task behavior increased while disruptive behavior decreased, replicating previous findings. The number of teacher praise statements remained at near zero levels across conditions. Frequency of teacher neutral and negative statements varied with the level of student disruptive behavior. Teacher praise and limitations are discussed.

IMPROVING DAY‐TREATMENT SERVICES FOR ADULTS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES: A NORM‐REFERENCED APPLICATION OF OUTCOME MANAGEMENT

We evaluated an outcome management program for working with staff to improve the performance of adults with severe disabilities in a congregate day-treatment setting. Initially, observations were conducted of student task involvement and staff distribution of teaching interactions across students in four program sites. Using recent normative data to establish objective goals for student performance, management intervention was warranted in two of the sites. A six-step outcome management program was then implemented in the two sites. The program involved defining desired student and staff outcomes, systematic monitoring of the outcomes, staff training, and supportive and corrective feedback. The outcome management program was accompanied by increases in student on-task behavior and staff distribution of teaching interactions in both sites. The increases brought the levels of on-task behavior above the normative average; on-task behavior was maintained above the baseline average for over 1 year in both sites. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits of relying on normative data for objectively evaluating and improving service delivery systems. Discussion of future research needs focuses on applying the outcome management program to other settings and services for people with disabilities.

The Effects of Using Response Cards on Student Participation, Academic Achievement, and On-Task Behavior During Whole-Class, Math Instruction

This study evaluated the effects of using response cards during whole-group math instruction in a fourth-grade classroom, using an ABA research design. During both A and B conditions the classroom teacher conducted her math lessons as planned. However during the A conditions, hand-raising (HR) was in effect. That is, when the teacher asked a question she instructed the students to raise their hands and after each question she called on one student whose hand was raised. During the B condition, response cards (RC) were in effect. Whenever she asked a question, the teacher instructed the entire class to write their answers on individual response cards. After each question, the teacher instructed the entire class to hold up their RC. Data were collected on five students who represented the class range in general level of participation, academic skills, and on-task behavior. Results indicated that student participation, specifically the number of student-initiated opportunities to respond and the number of student responses were higher when using RC than when HR was in effect. Students scored higher on the weekly math quiz after the RC condition than after the HR conditions. The percentage of intervals that students were on-task also was higher when RC were used.

Effects of Self-Monitoring on the On-Task Behavior and Written Language Performance of Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of self-monitoring and a changing criterion with public posting phase on student on-task behavior and written language performance. Four elementary school boys participated and were enrolled in an urban-based, elementary-level resource room for students with learning disabilities. Self-monitoring procedures for on-task behavior included the students listening to a tone recorded at 60-s intervals and responding to the question, “Am I on-task?” Written language performance involved the students writing for a 10-min. session and counting and graphing the number of words written. During baseline conditions, student on-task behavior and written language performance were collected. During the self-monitoring conditions, the students monitored their on-task behavior and written language performance simultaneously. In the changing criterion with public posting condition, the students received their goal for the day's session prior to writing, wrote, and recorded whether they met their goal. While the results show a functional relationship between self-monitoring and on-task behavior, the data for the relationship between self-monitoring and written language performance were less compelling. A greater increase occurred when the changing criterion with public posting condition was introduced. Results suggest that self-monitoring changed on-task behavior; however, further research needs to be conducted to determine the conditions that would produce comparable effects for written language performance. Several implications for students and teachers and parent training were discussed.

Effect of Varying Rates of Behavior-Specific Praise on the On-Task Behavior of Students with EBD

The purposes of this study were to examine (a) the effect of an observation-feedback intervention on the rate of a teacher's behavior-specific praise of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and (b) the effect of increased rates of a teacher's behavior-specific praise on the on-task behavior of a class of students with EBD. Participants were a special education teacher and nine fifth-grade students in a self-contained classroom for students with EBD. Using an ABAB withdrawal design, the rate of the teacher's behavior-specific praise was increased to a criterion level during each intervention phase. Results indicate that the students' on-task behavior increased when the teacher's behavior-specific praise increased, and they decreased during the brief withdrawal phase. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Use of Self-Operated Auditory Prompts to Decrease Off-Task Behavior for a Student with Autism and Moderate Mental Retardation

The use of a self-operated auditory prompting system by a 12-year-old student with autism and moderate mental retardation to decrease inappropriate and off-task behavior was examined in two settings. The effectiveness of the prompting system was assessed using a multiple probe across settings design with an embedded withdrawal in each setting. An analysis of the data indicated a significant decrease in the number of teacher-delivered prompts required by the student to engage in appropriate behavior and remain on task. In this investigation, the self-operated auditory prompting system served as the stimulus control for the student's appropriate and on-task behavior, its use generalized across settings without additional training, and it was successfully used by a student with autism and moderate mental retardation.

Effects of Task Difficulty on the Disruptive and On-Task Behavior of Students with Severe Behavior Disorders

It has been proposed that academic materials presented to students with emotional and behavioral disorders may serve in some situations as aversive stimuli that increase escape and/or avoidance responses. The results from two single subject studies using ABAB designs that were conducted to examine the effects of the difficulty level of academic tasks (i.e., easy versus difficult) on both the disruptive and on-task behaviors of students with severe behavior disorders are presented. Results indicated that difficult tasks were generally associated with lower percentages of time on-task and higher percentages of time engaged in disruptive behavior than were easy task conditions. Implications for teachers of students with severe behavioral disorders are discussed.

Classroom Instruction Differences by Level of Technology Use in Middle School Mathematics

This study examined whether 1) classroom interaction, 2) selection of activities, 3) instructional activities, 4) organizational setting of the classroom, and 4) student on-task and off-task behaviors in the classroom significantly differs according to the degree of implementation of technology in mathematics classrooms. The subjects in the present study were 2,189 middle school students who were randomly chosen from a multi-ethnic school district located within a major metropolitan city in the south central region of the United States. The results indicate that there are significant differences in classroom instruction by the amount of technology used. Instruction in classroom settings where technology was not often used tended to be whole-class approaches where students generally listened or watched the teacher. Instruction in classroom settings where technology was moderately used had much less whole-class instruction and much more independent work. These findings are quite similar to previous research that supports the notion that technology use may change teaching from the traditional teacher-centered model to a more student-centered instructional approach. Another important finding from the present study is that students in classrooms where technology was moderately used were also found to be on task significantly more than students from the other two groups.

The Effects of Three Teacher Supervision Patterns on Student On-Task and Skill Performance in Secondary Physical Education

This study sought to determine the effects of three teacher supervision patterns on student on-task and practice skill behavior. Three experienced physical education instructors and 3 off-task junior high school males served as subjects. An alternating treatments design was used to study the on-task behavior, total practice trials and appropriate practice trials under three supervision patterns: (a) close with feedback, (b) distant with feedback, and (c) distant with no feedback. Under the active supervision patterns (with feedback), teachers issued specific skill feedback to target students at a minimum of 0.5 per minute. Findings indicated that when the treatments were successfully implemented, (a) the percentage of on-task behavior was significantly higher during active supervision for two target students and (b) mixed results were produced for total practice trials and appropriate practice trials across all three treatments.

The Effects of an In-Class Breakfast Program on Attendance and On-Task Behavior of High School Students

The purpose of this research was to determine if an in-school breakfast program could increase attendance and the on-task behaviors of 10 male high school students. The effects of the in-school breakfast program were examined in a vocational high school setting. An ABAB design was employed to assess the effects of the in-class breakfast program. Results show that an in-school breakfast program was effective in increasing on-task behaviors each time it was in effect. Small positive changes in attendance were also found. These outcomes indicate that an in-school breakfast program may positively influence on-task behaviors of high school students in a vocational setting.

The Effects of a Student-Operated Business Curriculum on the On-Task Behavior of Students with Behavioral Disorders

This study examined the effects of a student-operated business curriculum on the on-task behavior of three students with behavioral disorders in a self-contained middle school class. An ABAB design was employed to determine the effects of the intervention. Data were collected using a one-minute time-sampling procedure. Results indicated a functional relationship between the student-operated business curriculum and time on task in mathematics.

Model/Practice versus Verbal/Rehearsal Introductions of Systems Skills Within an Individually Prescribed Instructional System

This study examined one component of an individualized instructional setting specific to physical education in order to operationally define more clearly one instructional system. A comparison of model/practice and verbal/rehearsal teacher instruction of the systems skills (i.e., pupil non-subject-matter tasks) necessary to two individualized physical education classes was conducted, quantified in terms of academic learning time specific to physical education (ALT-PE). Concomitant variables of student on-task and student off-task were similarly analyzed. The study focused upon visual inspection of pupil graphic behavioral representations in determining significant level differences between and within classes. Analyses showed model/practice instruction of systems skills to produce marked reductions in student on-task and off-task behavior, allowing larger portions of classroom time to be devoted to academic content learning activities. ALT-PE was subsequently enhanced via the model/practice intervention. The verbal/rehearsal condition evidenced negligible changes across dependent measures from baseline to intervention stages.