Examining classroom influences on student perceptions of school climate: The role of classroom management and exclusionary discipline strategies

Past School Discipline Experiences: Perspectives of Disabled Adults

BACKGROUND

School discipline has potential life-long consequences for students. Disabled youth can be misunderstood and experience harsh discipline and are at increased risk for negative outcomes, yet little research includes their voices. The aim of this study was to explore past school discipline experiences among disabled adults.

METHODS

Disabled adult perspectives (N = 9) regarding past school discipline experiences were explored employing qualitative descriptive methodology framed by the Peace and Power Conceptual Model. Peace-Power versus Power-Over-Powers involve actions/behaviors reflecting critical emancipation or oppression of those in power.

RESULTS

Eight peace-power versus power-over themes emerged: "humiliating," "threatening," "escaping," "observing," "avoiding," "diverging," "isolating," and "failing."

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY

Disabled students can experience oppressive power-over dynamics separating them from others because they are unable to meet rigid classroom expectations. Educators may lack awareness of structural biases shaping reactions warranting need for school policies and practices promoting restorative justice, social-emotional learning, and inclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Classroom discipline can represent emancipatory peace-power or oppressive power-over powers. Not all teacher interactions represent 1 power or the other. Future research should focus on including disabled student voices informing school discipline practices. Educators' perspectives of their role fostering inclusive classrooms should also be considered.

How school policies, strategies, and relational factors contribute to teacher victimization and school safety

In this study, we examined how school policies and strategies (i.e., positive discipline, hardening strategies, and positive behavioral strategies) affect teacher relational factors and teacher reports of victimization and safety. Specifically, we examined the mediational roles of teacher support of student learning, maltreatment of students by teachers, and teachers' differential treatment of students in schools. Using a sample of 6643 pre-K-12th-grade teachers, path analysis results revealed that positive behavior strategies, hardening strategies, and positive discipline were indirectly associated with teacher victimization and sense of safety. Additionally, teachers' perceptions of other teachers maltreating students had the greatest contributions to their sense of safety and victimization by students. Positive discipline was directly and indirectly associated with teacher victimization and safety. Implications and directions for future studies are discussed.

Profiles of teachers' classroom management style: Differences in perceived school climate and professional characteristics

Teachers are tasked with not only delivering high-quality, evidence-based academic instruction, but they are also responsible for managing student behavior within the classroom and school. To manage these behaviors, teachers can use a variety of strategies that result in a range of outcomes on student and school-wide functioning. Although an overreliance on punitive strategies has been shown to worsen behavior problems, positive strategies and social-emotional learning (SEL) techniques are associated with more favorable outcomes for students' global functioning. In a sample of K-12 teachers (N = 111), we examined direct associations between teachers' use of behavior management techniques (i.e., punitive, positive, and SEL) and their self-reports of perceived school climate. Furthermore, latent profile analysis was used to identify teachers' behavior management styles and evaluate whether teachers' characteristics and perceived school climate predicted behavior management style. Findings not only replicate previous research examining direct associations between behavior management techniques and school climate, but also extend the theoretical understanding of teachers' behavior management approaches. Three profiles of teacher behavior management style emerged, including a (a) Moderate Proactive profile characterized by frequent use of positive strategies and SEL techniques and infrequent use of punitive strategies; (b) Moderate Reactive/Proactive profile characterized by moderate use of both punitive strategies and positive strategies, as well as slightly lower use of SEL techniques; and (c) High Proactive profile characterized by very frequent use of positive strategies and SEL techniques and very infrequent use of punitive strategies. Use of these profiles may enhance understanding of how school psychologists can support teachers' behavior management practices through consultation or professional development to promote effective school and classroom behavior management practices.

Can School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) improve adolescents' perceptions of school climate?

As school climate plays a key role in adolescents' academic and socio-emotional outcomes, interventions that can enhance this climate are of major interest. In considering research on practices linked to a positive school climate, School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a promising approach. To date, most SWPBIS studies have been conducted in English-speaking countries and have been based primarily on adults' perceptions or reports (e.g., suspension rates, office discipline referrals). There is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of SWPBIS among adolescents in different cultural contexts. Moreover, little is known about its propensity to influence adolescents' perceptions of school climate dimensions. The present study examined the effects of SWPBIS on different dimensions of school climate as perceived by French adolescents enrolled in Grades 6-9. An experimental effectiveness study was conducted among 84 grades from 21 middle schools. Multilevel analyses were conducted on data from a sample of 6765 adolescents (M_age = 12.3 years, SD = 1.23; 51% girls) from 40 control and 44 intervention grades, controlling for grade-level school climate dimensions at baseline. The results suggest that SWPBIS had a positive effect on educational, safety, and teacher-student school climate dimensions. No effects were found on belonging, fairness, and between-students school climate dimensions. The findings suggest that SWPBIS had a positive effect on adolescents' perceptions of three school climate dimensions regardless of their initial perception levels. These results may provide future directions for school teams, researchers, and policymakers interested in ways to improve school climate.

A Pre-Implementation Enhancement Strategy to Increase the Yield of Training and Consultation for School-Based Behavioral Preventive Practices: a Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

As the most common setting where youth access behavioral healthcare, the education sector frequently employs training and follow-up consultation as cornerstone implementation strategies to promote the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, these strategies alone are not sufficient to promote desirable implementation (e.g., intervention fidelity) and youth behavioral outcomes (e.g., mitigated externalizing behaviors). Theory-informed pragmatic pre-implementation enhancement strategies (PIES) are needed to prevent the lackluster outcomes of training and consultation. Specifically, social cognitive theory explicates principles that inform the design of PIES content and specify mechanisms of behavior change (e.g., "intentions to implement" (ITI)) to target increasing providers' responsiveness to training and consultation. This triple-blind parallel randomized controlled trial preliminarily examined the efficacy of a pragmatic PIES based on social cognitive theories (SC-PIES) to improve implementation and youth behavioral outcomes from universal preventive EBPs in the education sector. Teachers from a diverse urban district were recruited and randomly assigned to the treatment (SC-PIES; ntreatment = 22) or active control condition (administrative meeting; ncontrol = 21). Based on the condition assigned, teachers received the SC-PIES or met with administrators before their EBP training. We assessed teachers' ITI, intervention fidelity, and youth behavioral outcome (academic engagement as an incompatible behavior to externalizing disorders) at baseline, immediately after training, and 6 weeks afterward. A series of ANCOVAs detected sizeable effects of SC-PIES, where teachers who received SC-PIES demonstrated significantly larger improvement in their ITI, intervention fidelity, and youth behaviors as compared to the control. Conditional analyses indicated that teachers' ITI partially mediated the effect of SC-PIES on intervention fidelity, which in turn led to improved youth behaviors. Findings suggest that theory-informed pragmatic PIES targeting providers' ITI can boost their responsiveness to implementation strategies, as reflected in improved implementation behaviors and youth behavioral outcomes. The results have implications for targeting motivational mechanisms of behavior change and situating preventive implementation strategies at the intersection between the preparation and active implementation stages of an implementation process. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05240222. Registered on: 2/14/2022. Retrospectively registered.  https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT05240222.

Teachers' contributions to the school climate and using empathy at work: implications from qualitative research in two European countries

This research aimed to reveal the factors that, based on their experiences, teachers consider important in their contribution to a positive school climate and in their relationship with students when it comes to using empathy. Teachers from two European countries-Latvia (n = 83) and Lithuania (n = 69)-participated in the research. Data were collected through focus group-based interviews and analyzed using latent qualitative content analysis. The results revealed the teachers' shared understanding of the importance of communication and professional development. However, only Lithuanian teachers emphasized strengthening institutional values and other more collectivistic aspects; the answers of Latvian teachers were specific and suggested more of an individualistic attitude, like allocating personal responsibility to use appropriate instructional strategies. This study draws attention to contextual and cultural factors of teachers' work and actualizes their educational needs.

Bridging simulation technology with positive behavioral supports to promote student engagement and behavior

Simulation technology provides opportunities for teachers to engage in extended practice using positive behavioral supports to promote student engagement and behavior. These training models are rapidly emerging and if effective, create an infrastructure for scaling up positive behavioral supports in classrooms and schools. However, there is limited research examining teacher skill transfer or student outcomes. This study examined the incremental benefits of Interactive Virtual Training for Teachers (IVT-T) in combination with professional learning communities (PLCs) in one high poverty school district. Using a quasi-experimental design, teachers (N = 90; n = 52 IVT-T + PLC condition; n = 38 PLC condition) and students (N = 100; n = 60 IVT-T + PLC condition; n = 40 PLC only) participated across six K-8 schools. Both training conditions were rated as moderately acceptable. One and two-level generalized linear models indicated teachers who used IVT-T increased their use of praise (b = 0.75, p = .03) and decreased their use of behavioral corrective feedback (b = -0.32, p = .02). Their students were also more passively engaged (b = 0.42, p = .05) and showed fewer inappropriate physical behaviors (b = -0.87, p = .002). IVT-T hours predicted increases in praise statements (b = 0.07, p < .001) and decreases in vague directives (b = -0.07, p = .006) whereas PLC hours predicted increases in teachers' use of vague directives (b = 0.07, p = .05). There was a significant positive effect of IVT-T hours on student passive engagement (b = 0.04, p = .01) and a negative effect of PLC hours on rates of inappropriate physical behaviors (b = 0.1, p = .04). Study limitations and future directions for research and practice are discussed.

School-Based Mental Health Practitioners: A Resource Guide for Educational Leaders

School-based mental health practitioners can offer enhanced support to schools and students; yet their training, roles, and expertise vary. The roles of these professionals are often conflated, misunderstood, or marginalized in their utility throughout the school system. The purpose of this manuscript is to enhance the capacity of educational leaders to make informed hiring, contracting, and role assignment decisions that best fit school and student needs regarding school mental health services. We clarify the landscape of two distinct groups of qualified school mental health professionals-those who are education certified and those who are independently licensed; each group represents professionals from multiple disciplines. We illuminate similarities and differences of these professionals and juxtapose the utility of traditional mental health versus school-based mental health. We then discuss the similarities and differences of qualified school mental health professionals described within the context of traditional and school-based mental health preparation and service delivery. We conclude by contributing three resources for educational leaders to support the process of engaging school-based mental health practitioners. First, we offer a planning guide to understand state variations in certification requirements across professionals. Second, we provide a hiring guide primer that summarizes education requirements and delineates role orientations for school mental health practitioners. Third, we provide an interview guide to help clarify a candidate’s experience and skills useful to contemporary school needs. We conclude by offering recommendations for educational leaders to become more effective consumers of school-based mental health services.

Unpacking the role of Chinese EFL teacher aggression and burnout in their professional success: A teachers’ psychology perspective

This study aims to investigate the role of Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ aggression and burnout in their professional success. To accomplish this, 362 EFL teachers (i.e., 59 males, 303 females) were invited to respond to three valid measures of the variables (i.e., Maslach burnout inventory, teacher aggression scale, and teacher professional success scale). Performing Spearman’s rho correlation tests, negative and significant correlations were found between teacher burnout, teacher aggression, and teacher professional success. Moreover, as the results of regression analyses indicated, both teacher aggression and teacher burnout were found to be the negative predictors of EFL teachers’ professional success. It implies that the higher the amount of teacher aggression and teacher burnout, the less professionally successful a teacher would be. The implications of the results are finally discussed.

Enduring Equity Questions: A Sequence Analysis of Citations in Response to Racial Inequity via the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

In this article, we document patterns of local education agency (LEA) disproportionality citations within one state spanning an 8-year time period immediately following the 2004 reauthorization of Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to understand the following: (a) how patterns of disproportionality citations manifest over time in suburban locales, and (b) how often LEAs experience and subsequently are able to successfully address a citation for racial inequity in special education outcomes. We descriptively investigated sequence patterns across suburban locales within one state—New York State (NYS), which serves as a representative case for our analysis. We focus on suburban locales because prior research has documented that a school district’s location (e.g., suburban) relates to the time frame within which a school district was able to address a disproportionality citation. In addition, locale-specific characteristics such as segregation in schools and communities and sociodemographic conditions influence the occurrence of racial disproportionality. Our primary questions driving the descriptive inquiry were as follows: How does variation in sequence patterns for IDEA disproportionality citations manifest within and between suburban locales in NYS? And, what are the policy implications of these patterns? We conclude with specific recommendations for improving IDEA racial equity policy.

Improving the school environment: School staff perceptions of school climate data and reporting practices

School climate surveys have become widely used in U.S. schools, but there is little information on whether school leaders engage teachers and other staff in the process of reviewing and making use of survey results. This mixed-methods study examined staff interest, viewing, and use of survey results in a state that administers a school climate survey. Semistructured interviews with 15 staff members were conducted to gain insight into quantitative results from 16,525 staff members in 318 high schools. Survey data showed that although 84% of school staff were interested in seeing the results of their school climate survey, fewer than one-third reported seeing the results or using them for school planning or improvement. Administrators were more likely than teachers and other staff to have seen and used survey results. Content coding of the qualitative data elaborated on staff interest in reviewing and using climate data. These findings highlight the need for school leaders to collaborate with school staff on interpreting and using survey results for school climate improvement efforts.

A multilevel analysis of racial discipline disproportionality: A focus on student perceptions of academic engagement and disciplinary environment

Excessive use of exclusionary school discipline with Black students is a persistent, systemic problem in U.S. schools with potential to affect students' perceptions of their school. For example, students may notice racial differences in out-of-school suspensions, which may relate to how academically engaged they feel and the extent to which they view the school's disciplinary environment as positive. The current study investigated school-level racial discipline disproportionality and observed classroom-level, positive behavior supports in relation to student perceptions of academic engagement and school disciplinary environment by fitting a series of three-level models, which included data on students (N = 17,115), classrooms (J = 310), and schools (K = 53). Two metrics of discipline disproportionality were used (i.e., the risk ratio and the risk difference) and moderation was examined through cross-level interactions. Results indicated that, regardless of race, students perceived the disciplinary environment as significantly less favorable in schools with greater racial discipline disproportionality when measured by the risk ratio, but not when measured by the risk difference. Using different disproportionality metrics in education research has important implications for policies and practices to identify and address the issue. How discipline disparities relate to the way that students perceive the disciplinary environment will likely inform intervention efforts for school psychologists.

Does a rising school climate lift all boats? Differential associations of perceived climate and achievement for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency

Previous research studies show that a positive school climate is associated with desirable academic outcomes for youth. In the United States, students with disabilities and English language learner (ELL) students are particularly at-risk for poor academic outcomes and therefore more in need of interventions to support their academic development. The present study examined whether school climate has a differential association with academic achievement for these at-risk students compared to their peers, which would suggest that school climate has the effect of reducing or widening achievement gaps based on disability and language. For students at all levels, the main effects of perceived school climate and disability status on mathematics and reading achievement were statistically significant controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and grade. The results of this study have numerous implications for school psychology practice. Our findings suggest that a positive school climate is associated with higher achievement for all students at all levels in both mathematics and reading, school psychologists should consider school climate improvement as part of their mandate.

Indisciplina em sala de aula: um estudo transcultural

A indisciplina em sala de aula é um fenómeno que representa uma preocupação à escala global. Neste estudo, realizado com professores do ensino primário ao ensino secundário, serão explorados a frequência e tipologia dos comportamentos problemáticos em sala de aula, o tempo que os professores estimam despender com a indisciplina, o nível de preparação que julgam ter para lidar com a indisciplina, a formação recebida na gestão de sala de aula e da indisciplina, e a evolução da indisciplina nos últimos cinco anos. Serão também exploradas variáveis culturais, comparando professores portugueses e angolanos em relação às variáveis mencionadas. Palavras-chave: Indisciplina, sala de aula, gestão da sala de aula, transculturalidade

An investigation of the mechanism underlying teacher aggression: Testing I3 theory and the General Aggression Model

BACKGROUND

Considerable research has investigated the deleterious effects of teachers responding aggressively to students who misbehave, but the mechanism underlying this dysfunctional behaviour remains unknown.

AIMS

This study investigated whether the mechanism underlying teacher aggression follows I³ theory or General Aggression Model (GAM) metatheory of human aggression. I³ theory explains exceptional, catastrophic events of human aggression, whereas the GAM explains common human aggression behaviours.

SAMPLE

A total of 249 Australian teachers participated in this study, including 142 primary school teachers (Mdn [age] = 35-39 years; Mdn [years teaching] = 10-14 years; 84% female) and 107 secondary school teachers (Mdn [age] = 45-49 years; Mdn [years teaching] = 15-19 years; 65% female).

METHODS

Participants completed four online self-report questionnaires, which assessed caregiving responsiveness, trait self-control, misbehaviour provocation, and teacher aggression.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed that the GAM most accurately captures the mechanism underlying teacher aggression, with lower caregiving responsiveness appearing to indirectly lead to teacher aggression via higher misbehaviour provocation and lower trait self-control in serial, controlling for gender, age, years teaching, and current role (primary, secondary).

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that teacher aggression proceeds from 'the person in the situation'. Specifically, lower caregiving responsiveness appears to negatively shape a teacher's affective, cognitive, and arousal states, which influence how they perceive and interpret student misbehaviour. These internal states, in turn, appear to negatively influence appraisal and decision processes, leading to immediate appraisal and impulsive actions. These results raise the possibility that teacher aggression is a form of countertransference.

Relationships Among Student, Staff, and Administrative Measures of School Climate and Student Health and Academic Outcomes

BACKGROUND

School climate is an integral part of a comprehensive approach to improving the well-being of students; however, little is known about the relationships between its different domains and measures. We examined the relationships between student, staff, and administrative measures of school climate to understand the extent to which they were related to each other and student outcomes.

METHODS

The sample included 33,572 secondary school students from 121 schools in Los Angeles County during the 2014-2015 academic year. A multilevel regression model was constructed to examine the association between the domains and measures of school climate and 5 outcomes of student well-being: depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation, tobacco use, alcohol use, marijuana use, and grades.

RESULTS

Student, staff, and administrative measures of school climate were weakly correlated. Strong associations were found between student outcomes and student reports of engagement and safety, while school staff reports and administrative measures of school climate showed limited associations with student outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

As schools seek to measure and implement interventions aimed at improving school climate, consideration should be given to grounding these efforts in a multidimensional conceptualization of climate that values student perspectives and includes elements of both engagement and safety.

How school climate relates to chronic absence: A multi-level latent profile analysis

Chronic absence is a significant problem in schools. School climate may play an important role in influencing chronic absence rates among schools, yet little research has evaluated how school climate constructs relate to chronic absence. Using multilevel latent profile analysis, we evaluated how profiles of student perceptions of school climate at both the student and school level differentiated school-level rates of chronic absence. Participants included 25,776 middle and high school students from 106 schools who completed a district administered school climate survey. Students attended schools in a large urban school district where 89% of 6th through 12th grade students were African-American and 61% were eligible for the federally subsidized school meals program. Three student-level profiles of perceptions of school climate emerged that corresponded to "positive," "moderate," and "negative" climate. Two predominant patterns regarding the distribution of these profiles within schools emerged that corresponded to the two school-level profiles of "marginal climate" and "climate challenged" schools. Students reporting "moderate" and "negative" climate in their schools were more likely to attend schools with higher chronic absence rates than students reporting that their school had "positive" climate. Likewise, "climate challenged" schools had significantly higher chronic absence rates than "marginal climate" schools. These results suggest that school climate shares an important relation with chronic absence among adolescent students attending urban schools. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.

Practices for Improving Secondary School Climate: A Systematic Review of the Research Literature

School climate has received increased attention in education policy and, in response, educators are seeking strategies to improve the climates of their middle and high schools. However, there has been no comprehensive synthesis of the empirical evidence for what works in school climate improvement. This article constitutes a systematic review of programs and practices with empirical support for improving school climate. It defines school climate and provides a methodology for identifying and evaluating relevant studies. The review identified 66 studies with varying strength of evidence and nine common elements that cut across reviewed programs and practices. The review concludes with a critical appraisal of what we know about school climate improvement and what we still need to know.

Influence of Classroom and School Climate on Teacher Perceptions of Student Problem Behavior

Reducing student problem behavior remains a leading concern for school staff, as disruptive and aggressive behavior interferes with student achievement and the school climate. However, the multi-systemic nature of schools makes it difficult for researchers and practitioners to identify factors influencing to students' behavior. The current study examined student problem behavior through an ecological lens by taking into account individual (e.g., gender, ethnicity, prosocial behavior), classroom (e.g., class size, average classroom behavior), and school-level factors (e.g., location, school climate). Using data from 37 elementary schools, 467 classrooms, and 8,750 students, a series of hierarchical linear models was tested. Multilevel analyses revealed that while individual student characteristics had the largest influence on problem behavior, average prosocial behavior and concentration problems of students within the classroom, as well as teacher perceptions of the school climate significantly related to how students behaved. These findings support the use of classroom-based intervention programs to reduce student problem behavior.