‘Not Enough Time’: Identifying Victorian Teachers’ Perceptions of the Facilitators and Barriers to Supporting Improved Student Behaviour

Abstract

Students exhibiting behaviours of concern are at increased risk of poor outcomes during their school years. The implementation of school-wide positive behavioural interventions and supports (SWPBIS) has repeatedly been shown to be an effective, evidence-based approach that supports teachers to select and adopt effective practices to meet the social and behavioural needs of all learners. Implementation of SWPBIS within Australian schools is increasing. Although there is considerable evidence supporting the effectiveness and efficacy of SWPBIS as a means to improve the behavioural outcomes of all students, these positive outcomes largely depend on the actions of teachers. To this point, very limited research has been published that explores the experiences of teachers working in Australian schools currently implementing SWPBIS. The current study asked 206 Victorian teachers working in schools implementing SWPBIS two open-ended questions about the factors that they believed were facilitators or barriers to their ability to improve the behavioural outcomes of their students. The most commonly reported facilitators were availability of time, consistency of staff implementation of behaviour support, and adequate training. The most frequently identified barriers were a lack of time and inconsistent implementation. The practical and research implications of these preliminary qualitative findings are discussed.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Educator Professional Development: A Systematic Literature Review of Responsive, Tiered Professional Development Models

“…In doing this, responsive tiered training models may allow for efficient allocation of the costliest resources (e.g., coaching) while minimizing the time commitment for busy teachers (R. A. Fox et al, 2021).…”

“…Studies have shown that teacher motivation might vary based on personal factors (such as the perceived value of IPD or alignment with teachers' personal choices and interests; Zhang et al, 2021), school-level factors (such as workload, time, and support from colleagues; R. A. Fox et al, 2021), and systems-level factors (such as whether IPD is mandatory or optional, or whether IPD occurs during or outside of working hours; McMillan et al, 2016).…”

“…This aligns with the findings presented by Zhang et al (2021) who reported that teacher motivation can influence the effectiveness of IPD. Studies have shown that teacher motivation might vary based on personal factors (such as the perceived value of IPD or alignment with teachers’ personal choices and interests; Zhang et al, 2021), school-level factors (such as workload, time, and support from colleagues; R. A.…”

Multi-tiered systems of educator professional development: A systematic literature review of responsive, tiered professional development models

“…Conceptually, this aligns with the tiered logic of MTSS frameworks for students and ensures that supports are provided to match the level of individual need (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016). In doing this, responsive tiered training models may allow for efficient allocation of the costliest resources (e.g., coaching), while minimizing the impact on time poor teachers (Fox et al, 2021).…”

“…They have insufficient time to adequately prepare for lessons and, while wanting support, do not have time for lengthy professional learning activities (Lovison & Mo, 2022). Teachers have reported that lack of resources, time and training are significant barriers to their ability to implement evidence-based behavior support practices (Fox et al, 2021). Without high-quality training, teachers do not have the opportunity to develop sufficient skills to fluently implement effective, evidence-based practices in their own contexts (Mitchell et al, 2017).…”