Effective classroom management may be one of the most important skills a teacher can possess. However, many teachers begin their careers lacking the expertise required to run a classroom to maximize the potential for student academic success. With the addition of legislation such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, teachers have become increasingly accountable for the academic achievement of their students. Numerous studies have found a direct link between effective classroom management skills and higher academic achievement of students (Oliver & Reschly, 2007; Gresham, 2009; Wenglinsky, 2002; Strong, Ward & Grant, 2011). Teacher praise for appropriate student behavior has been proven to be an effective classroom management strategy (Villeda, Shuster, & Carter, 2016). The current study examined the effect of two types of consultation (i.e., consultation only and consultation with performance feedback) on increasing teacher’s skill levels in the use of behavior specific praise in an effort to decrease student disruptions in the classroom. A multiple baseline A/B/B+C/ Follow-up design was used to determine the effectiveness of the two consultation methods. Results indicated that both consultation methods increased the teachers’ praise to correction ratios and reduced the frequency of students’ disruptive behavior. Implications of the study and future directions are discussed.

Students across the country experience negative effects due to losses in classroom instruction time caused by exclusionary discipline. In Mississippi, 11.8% of students received 1 or more in-school suspensions and 9.7% of students received 1 or more out-of-school suspensions during the 2013-14 school year. This study sought to determine effective classroom management strategies for addressing discipline infractions, identify professional development needs of teachers and administrators focused on effective classroom management strategies, describe the role of the principal in promoting professional management strategies and reducing discipline infractions, and determine recommendations for related school policies. Mississippi public school districts serving students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades. All school districts were located in rural areas across the state. Participants in the study included 3 administrators and 5 teachers. All participants had 6 or more years of experience. The research design selected for the study was a qualitative approach. Phenomenological research was conducted to analyze participants’ experiences relating to classroom management, discipline, administration, and policy. Participants were interviewed about their experiences and opinions regarding classroom management strategies, professional development, the role of the principal, and policy recommendations all relating to reducing discipline infractions and increasing student achievement. The data were analyzed to determine emergent themes among the participants in response to the research questions and to provide recommendations for professional development and policy changes. Common themes were identified through the participants’ interviews. The findings showed that participants believed positive reinforcement, academic supports, behavior supports, relationships, planning, and teaching expectations and consequences were the most effective classroom management strategies. Participants identified behavior supports, seating, grouping, PBIS, classroom management plans, teaching children from poverty, classroom relationships, teaching expectations, student engagement, planning, and providing feedback as professional development needs. Participants described the role of the administrator as supporting teachers, maintaining consistency and fairness, establishing relationships with teachers and students, and maintaining a presence in classrooms. Policy recommendations included increased consistency, stronger parental involvement policies, adjustments to non-violent offenses, classroom management professional development for new teachers, including teachers in administrative processes, policies based upon grade levels, and more detailed PBIS policies.

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore and analyze the nature of and rationale for classroom pedagogical and management strategies used by two effective female, Caucasian teachers who taught predominantly low socioeconomic, African American students. Teachers’ perceptions about the cultural and linguistic differences between low socioeconomic African American students and themselves were studied, as well as how these differences influenced their teaching and management strategies. Ladson-Billings’ (1994) work on culturally relevant pedagogy and Weinstein, Curran, and Tomlinson-Clarke’s (2003) and Brown’s (2003) models on culturally responsive classroom management served as conceptual frameworks for this study. Qualitative data were collected using classroom observations and teacher interviews. Findings from the study indicated that these two teachers built positive, mutually respectful relationships with their students to better understand their students on a personal level, delivered explicit behavioral expectations and classroom lessons, taught students the importance and applicability of lessons, demanded quality student performance, and possessed high expectations for student achievement. Both teachers selected pedagogical and classroom management strategies based on the individual academic needs of the students. Nevertheless, these teachers had difficulty identifying cultural and linguistic differences between themselves and their students. Therefore, cultural and linguistic differences did not directly influence teaching strategies they selected. However, these teachers inadvertently used culturally relevant pedagogical strategies without being aware of their own cultures and their students’ cultures. Finally, these teachers did not understand the important role that students’ cultures play in the classroom. Contrary to the findings of previous research, this study demonstrated that effective Caucasian female teachers do not need to understand the general cultural characteristics of African American students. However, on a specific individual basis, if the Caucasian female teacher understands the child, then she can successfully utilize pedagogical and classroom management strategies that will ensure the child’s academic success.

This investigation is concerned with demonstrating the effects of an easily managed classroom contingency-management treatment package on increasing arithmetic performance while decreasing disruptive behavior for whole classes of students. The study proposed, among other things, that programs differ in the degree to which each student must depend upon other students for reinforcement

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No description available.

Corporal punishment is a common practice that has been employed in classrooms in Jamaica for many years. This practice, as it is used to manage classroom behavior, although viewed as valuable by some, presents extremely detrimental effects. This study outlines positive approaches to classroom management to provide Jamaican classrooms with alternatives to corporal punishment. This is done by investigating the effectiveness of two Applied Behavior Analysis techniques, the Good Behavior Game and Differential Reinforcement of Low Rate Response, on disruptive behavior in a third grade classroom in a rural school in Jamaica. Results from the implementation of both procedures display positive outcomes and reveal that positive approaches to classroom management are effective in improving disruptive behavior. These procedures demonstrate the effectiveness of promoting positive behavior and refrain from utilizing corporal punishment. Such strategies also motivate students, increase instructional time, are cost efficient, and can be easily implemented by teachers. / Urban Education

This study is a multi-faceted analysis of the English learning motivation of one particular population: first-year non-English-major Japanese university students in a rural area of Japan. In addition to traditional motivation measures, measures of group dynamics thought to be relevant to classroom motivation and L2 Willingness to Communicate (WTC),which has recently caught interest both as an influence on and valued outcome of second language (L2) learning, were also included. The participants' English proficiency was measured with the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The participants were 238 Economics and Management majors enrolled in required English courses. They completed a 44-item L2 motivation and preferences for instructional activities questionnaire, a 30-item L2 WTC questionnaire, and the TOEIC. A factor analysis was performed to determine the internal structure of the motivation and preferences for instructionl activities variables. A Rasch rating-scale analysis was conducted to estimate the strength of the components by calibrating person measures for each variable for this sample Motivational Intensity, Intergroup Approach Tendency, Necessity of English and Instrumental Orientation emerged as motivational components, and Group Cohesion, Preference for a Student-Centered Approach, Enjoyment of Group Activities, and Study Habit Preference emerged as preference for instructional activities components. To determine the effects of the motivational and preferences for instructional activities components on proficiency and L2 WTC, multiple regression analyses were performed. One motivation component (Motivational Intensity) and one preference for instructional activities component (Study Habit Preference) contributed to predicting proficiency. For L2 WTC, Intergroup Approach Tendency and Preference for a Student-Centered Approach were statistically significant predictors. Next, a profile analysis was conducted to determine the differences in motivational and preferences for instructional activities tendencies at low, medium, and high levels of proficiency and L2 WTC. No notable differences in profiles emerged for the three proficiency levels, but significant differences emberged among three levels of L2 WTC groups. Overall, the set of analyses provide an in-depth understanding of the motivation of university-aged Japanese learners of English in a rural area. Teachers of these and similar students can adapt their practices to match and expand the preferences of these learners, and researchers in the future can apply this research strategy to different populations. / CITE/Language Arts

Det är vanligt att nyexaminerade lärare upplever osäkerheter och en låg känsla av förberedelse under de första yrkesverksamma åren. Detta är oroväckande då lärares känsla av kontroll i klassrummet och deras upplevda säkerheter inte bara påverkar hur stressade de är på arbetsplatsen, men även elevers prestationer. Ett sätt att studera lärare på är genom begreppet self-efficacy. Self-efficacy kan kortfattat beskrivas som tilltron på den egna förmågan att utföra en uppgift inom ett område. Studier inom området har ofta använt ett kvantitativt angreppssätt. Syftet med den här studien var att kvalitativt undersöka nya matematiklärares uttryckta self-efficacy inom tre olika områden. Frågeställningen för studien var hur uttrycks nyexaminerade matematiklärares self-efficacy inom classroom management, student engagement och instructional strategies i samtal om den första tiden i läraryrket? Frågeställningen besvarades genom att analysera intervjuer med fyra nya matematiklärare. Resultaten visade att de nya lärarna generellt hade låg self-efficacy. Framträdande var att lärarna uttryckte låg tilltro till att anpassa undervisning efter elevers speciella behov och hur de skulle ta sig an ledarskapet i klassrummet. Nationella proven hindrade lärarna från att arbeta kreativt. Dessutom efterfrågades fler praktiska inslag i lärarutbildningen, bland annat gällande metoder för att undervisa ett matematiskt koncept. Studien kan ha bäring för att bidra med kunskap till att utveckla lärarutbildningen med syftet att öka nya matematiklärares self-efficacy.

Schools are facing challenges in their efforts to educate children appropriately and safely. Students who demonstrate inappropriate, anti-social, and/or disruptive behaviors are becoming more prevalent. School personnel are dealing with disruptive behaviors that occur more frequently and that affect staff and student safety. Additionally, the lack of discipline or management of disruptive behaviors has been identified by the public as the most persistent and possibly the most troublesome issue facing schools ( Cotton, 2001; Elam, Rose, & Gallop, 1998; Fitzsimmons, 1998; Killion, 1998). An assumption in managing problem behaviors in many urban schools is that punishment will change behavior. According to Skiba and Peterson (2000), severe and penalizing disciplinary policies frequently produce a negative school environment rather than improving student behavior. In general, urban schools across the nation rely on suspensions, loss of privileges, reprimands, and or expulsion as means of discipline. Unfortunately, these reactive consequences only help a small number of children learn to "comply with general expectations" and are insufficient for many students who exhibit more challenging behavior problems. This study examines the disciplinary practices being used in two urban middle schools to control disruptive behavior of students. It will reveal what aspects of certain disciplinary practices are viewed as helpful as well as areas needing improvement. It will also give insight into whether selected urban school principals and other stakeholders are using proactive strategies and techniques demonstrated in the research literature as being the most effective in terms of changing inappropriate behavior. Undertaking this study through the application of qualitative research methods of inquiry as a study using interviews, examining relevant documents, and observations will allow me an opportunity to explore my personal reactions to the defined disciplinary practices in the identified schools. / Ed. D.