Introduction

1996-01-01

Discipline with Emotion: Exploring the Influence of Teacher Tone on Elementary Students’ Perceptions of and Responses to Teacher Authority

Popular preventative discipline programs often provide guidelines for ideal disciplinary interactions, emphasizing teachers’ use of a neutral, soft, warm, and/or loving tone of voice during student discipline. Yet the scholarly literature has suggested that there are alternative pedagogical ways of using emotional expression, including tone, to enhance student learning. For example, a long line of scholarship on African American educators (Delpit, 1996; Foster, 1991, 1997; Gordson, 1998; Irvine & Fraser, 1998; Monroe & Obidah, 2004; Patterson, Mickelson, Hester, & Wyrick, 2011; Ware, 2006) has found that some African American teachers use a direct, assertive, and strict disciplinary tone in the context of trusting student-teacher relationships to communicate high expectations and concern. Through experiments, interviews, and observations, this current mixed methods study explored how elementary students perceived and responded to the strict tone aspect of a “tough love” discipline style. Based on the study’s findings, I argue that teacher education programs that deem only one style of communication as acceptable during discipline may in fact be needlessly excluding diverse teaching styles and disregarding the cultural assets of the teachers who use them

A COMPARISON OF SYNTAX TRAINING FOR STUDENTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES UTILIZING CLINICIAN-DIRECTED VERSUS SELF-DETERMINED SESSION PARADIGMS

Self-determination is the ability to control one’s life and to actively participate in the decisions which affect the direction of one’s life. This ability is considered a critical life skill for individuals with developmental disabilities. The ability to make choices, plan, and self-evaluate are among the primary skills included in the development of self-determination. Currently, there is very limited emphasis on the importance of self-determination in the literature of communication disorders. This study was designed to determine if a teaching paradigm which incorporates key elements of self-determination is as or more effective and efficient in teaching syntax than a traditional, clinician-directed teaching paradigm for students with developmental disabilities. Two methods of syntax instruction were compared for 4 students with Down syndrome between the ages of 7 and 13 years using an Adapted Alternating Treatment (AAT) single subject design. In the Clinician Directed (CD) condition, the clinician selected the reinforcing activities, scheduled the order of those activities, and provided the students with feed-back on the accuracy of their productions. In the Self-Determined (SD) condition, the students chose the reinforcing activities from 4 possible choices, scheduled the order of activities, and self-evaluated the accuracy of their productions. Results of the study indicated that both the traditional clinician-directed approach (CD)and the self-determined approach (SD) were effective in teaching syntax targets with all 4 students achieving criterion at an unexpectedly rapid rate and maintaining skills regardless of the teaching condition. The CD condition was slightly more efficient than the SD condition in achieving criterion for 3 of the 4 students in the study; however, for 2 of these 3 students, there was a difference of only 1 session between the 2 conditions. In the SD condition the students were required to self-evaluate responses, a key element in the development of self-determination skills. Interestingly, students appeared to learn to self-correct errors slightly sooner in the SD than the CD condition. Further investigation is needed, but a case might be made that including elements of self-determination in syntax training could justify the slight loss of efficiency, and does so without disrupting teaching effectiveness

The Impact of Personalized Learning on Learner Agency, Communication, and Critical Thinking in a Fourth and Sixth Grade Math Class

Agency, communication and critical thinking are skills that all students must develop in order to become effective life-long learners. The action research was designed to determine the impact of a Personalized Learning format on students’ learner agency, and their communication and critical thinking skills. The research was conducted with fourth-grade students in a suburban elementary setting, and with sixth-grade students in a suburban middle school setting. The researchers collected before and after treatment data using an agency rubric, and using communication and critical thinking skills rubric. Researchers also collected data to determine student preference for working in a personalized learning format, and teacher-researchers’ feelings, planning time, and number of redirections for students during the four week personalized learning unit. The research showed that students’ exhibited growth in agency, communication and critical thinking skills. The data also showed an overall preference for the format by students, positive teacher-researcher feelings, low overall redirections, and less daily planning time once the unit was initially set up. The teacher-researchers suggest further study into how personalized learning effects different demographics of students such as age, and gender. As well as, investigating the impact of teaching mindset, agency, communication and critical thinking skills to students, teachers and parents

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Task Analysis Data Sheet Protocol in Training Educators to Use the You/Me Game During Direct Instruction Reading Groups

Teachers often struggle with classroom management during academic lessons. Self-adapted efforts to improve classroom management are often not founded on researched behavioral principles. These struggles and efforts impact student behavioral and academic outcomes. The You/Me game is a game included in many Direct Instruction curricula, specially sequenced curricula that encourage positive classroom management and the gaining of academic skills, as a means to reward students for correct academic performance. This study examined the effectiveness of providing a sheet of specific written instructions and allowing for clarifying questions in training four general educators to implement the You/Me Game for classroom management during small group reading lessons run using Direct Instruction curriculum. The effects of game implementation were assessed by examining the frequency of student disruptions, academic opportunities to respond provided by the teacher, the percentage of correct student responses to academic opportunities to respond, and the rate of behavioral redirections. Results provide information related to the effects of a simple, low cost means for training educators to implement a classroom management strategy that has the potential to impact student academic and behavioral outcomes

An Examination of the Golden Ratio in General Education Classrooms

A large body of research indicates use of praise as a response to appropriate behavior is an effective classroom management strategy to increase appropriate behavior and decrease problem behavior. Since prior research also suggested that teachers tend to have more negative interactions with students than positive ones, use of a specific praise to reprimand ratio is commonly recommended in teacher preparation programs and professional development. However, recommendations regarding the optimal ratio vary and there is limited evidence to support use of any specific ratio. There have also been relatively few studies examining naturally occurring rates of teacher praise, reprimands, and student problem behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed study is to examine naturally occurring rates of teacher praise, reprimands, and redirections and student problem behavior in general education classrooms. Data will be obtained through direct observations and we will explore the relationship between teacher and student behavior using correlational analyses. Results will add to the literature by documenting naturally occurring rates of teacher praise and reprimands in the classroom. Findings may also provide useful information about whether specific praise to reprimand ratios are correlated with lower levels of student problem behavior. Such information may help to guide recommendations to teachers, decrease problem behavior, and improve student-teacher interactions

eCoaching: The Effects on Co-Teachers’ Planning and Instruction

Although co-teaching has become a popular approach to special education service provision in inclusive classrooms, practitioners have struggled to carry it out well. One suggestion for improvement has been to provide co-teachers with training that includes coaching. In this study, we used single-case (ABAB) withdrawal design, to investigate the effects of eCoaching, delivered through online bug-in-ear technology, on co-teachers as they planned and carried out co-teaching. Participants included three co-teaching dyads (n = 6); each comprised of one general and one special educator. Visual inspection of graphed data along with quantitative analysis (i.e., percentage of non-overlapping data) confirmed that eCoaching increased participants’ use of varied co-teaching models and student-specific accommodations, while co-teachers’ interviews and students’ time samples verified social validity. Taken together, these findings lead to better understanding of the benefits and limitations of eCoaching with co-teachers

The relationship between human capital and social capital in professional-client relationships

Professionals in knowledge-intensive firms rely on their human capital and social capital to deliver value in their professional services to clients. In this study of corporate lawyers and clients, we examine the construct of knowledge acquisition, representing a professional’s human capital, and its relationship with social capital. Quantitative analyses on the survey data reveal significant evidence of relationships between human capital and social capital. The application of both the human and social capital theories to the study of professionals therefore has the potential to advance our knowledge and understanding of the relationships between professionals and their clients

Implementation of Self-regulation and Conflict Resolution Strategies through Conscious Discipline in an Early Childhood Classroom

CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD 2 Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing Conscious Discipline® methods would improve self-regulation and conflict resolution strategies. The action research took place over six weeks in a Montessori classroom with 30 students ranging from 3-6 years old; however, the participants were eight specific four or five year old male students. Four data collection tools were used throughout the intervention; a pre and post intervention survey, a weekly behavioral observation, a student reflection, and an end-of-day self-reflection form. After analyzing the data, evidence showed improved behaviors. By implementing Conscious Discipline®, students were able to improve their self-regulation and peer interaction skills. Potential future action research investigation relating to this study may include what effects Conscious Discipline® would have on females or how Conscious Discipline® helps older participants with more mature social issues such as bullying, fighting, labeling, and peer pressure. Keywords: Conscious Discipline®, Montessori, self-regulatio

Increasing self-determination skill through behavioral skills training for individuals with extensive support needs to examine reversible contraceptive choices.

There is a long history of individuals with extensive support needs (ESN) being sterilized without their knowledge and consent. Students with ESN are defined as individuals who need continuous and widespread supports necessary for academic, communication, and/or daily living skills. These individuals typically have more than one diagnosis including a developmental disability (DD), intellectual disability (ID), and/or traumatic brain injury (Kurth et al., 2019; Taub et al., 2017). Part of the reason this is able to occur is due to a lack of education about sexual development and a lack of interventions to build skills related to self-determination or informed decision-making. This dissertation aimed to increase these skills for participants with ESN related to their choices in reversible contraceptives. Three participants were first taught about their menstrual cycles and given preference assessments about reversible birth control options. Participants then created individualized graphic organizers to help guide them through the process of asking about choices and recording the information given from doctors. A single-case multiple probe design was used to examine the effectiveness of using behavioral skills training to increase the skills of asking a doctor about choices and recording the information. All three participants were able to reach mastery level within three to four probes. Two participants stayed at mastery level for their generalization and maintenance probes. One participant did not stay at mastery level for their generalization and maintenance probe but was only 3 points away from mastery level, and 29 points above their baseline level. Social validity results were positive and participants reported that they liked being able to talk to a doctor themselves. Future researchers should focus on increasing self-determination skills in other areas related to sex education and breaking down barriers to access education and care centered around dignity for the individual with ESN. This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One gives an overview of the history of sex education and health care services for individuals with ESN. Chapter Two is a review of literature related to sex education and self-determination skill building for individuals with ESN. This chapter also includes evidence that informed the decisions to include the different study components. Chapter Three details the methodology of the study and Chapter Four details the results for all three participants. Chapter Five explains the results related to previous literature and considerations for future research