Date of Award

Summer 8-2009

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Studies and Research

Committee Chair

Thelma Roberson

Committee Chair Department

Educational Research and Administration

Committee Member 2

Kyna Shelley

Committee Member 2 Department

Educational Studies and Research

Committee Member 3

Rose McNeese

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 4

Michael Ward

Committee Member 4 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Abstract

This study examined the factors that are associated with teacher classroom management with regard to training, attitudes and beliefs, and intervention practices of general and special education teachers in dealing with classroom control. These factors were examined in general and special education classrooms. The participants for this study were teachers of kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3r grade students in three public school districts in a southeastern state. Participants were recruited through a convenience or voluntary sample selection.

The school districts chosen for this sample provide a good cross-section of schools; they were representative of buildings with different percentages of free-reduced lunch, enrollments, and ethnicity, yet were similar in student-to-teacher ratio. Information about the school districts selected for this study was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics website. Demographical information such as gender, class taught, current grades taught, licensure, license class, areas of endorsement, years of teaching experience, and number of years teaching at current school was provided through a participant questionnaire. Additional questions provided a description of teachers' beliefs about behavioral interventions. The Attitudes and Beliefs about Classroom Control- Revised (ABCC-R) Inventory was used to measure various aspects of teachers' attitudes and beliefs about classroom management.

A multiple regression was conducted and showed an overall model of four predictor subscale scores of people management and instructional management, amount of training reported, and beliefs about behavior management. None were statistically significant in predicting the total number of Response to Interventions (RTIs). A multiple regression was conducted and results indicated that an overall model of four predictor subscale scores of people management and instructional management, amount of teacher training reported, and beliefs about behavioral interventions did not statistically significantly predict the total number behavioral intervention plans. A MANOVA was used to evaluate differences in variables based on teacher type (general education, special education, and inclusion). Results indicated teacher type did not make a statistically significant difference in the combination of four variables, nor in any of the variables (belies about behavioral interventions, subscale scores of people management and instructional management, and training) considered individually. Lastly a regression was conducted to determine if the dependent variable (teacher type) was equal across groups. When conducting tests for between-subjects effects by combining inclusion teachers with special education teachers, the researcher found that the dichotomy between special education teachers and general education teachers did not make a significant difference in the overall outcome. This dissertation further explains the results and presents suggestions for future research.

Download

Share

COinS