Positive behavior support in the classroom: Facilitating behaviorally inclusive learning environments.

Abstract

Teaching in a public school is a demanding job as the multiple dynamics of a classroom can be a challenge. In addition to addressing the challenging behaviors that many students without disabilities exhibit, more and more students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are being included in the general education classroom. Effective instruction and the development of effective instructional environments have been demonstrated to decrease problem behaviors in students with histories of failure in school. Positive behavior support (PBS) provides a framework for considering development of instructional environments that increase the teacher's ability to deliver effective instruction to all students, thereby increasing success rates and reducing negative behavior across the school. The same PBS features: prediction, prevention, consistency, and evaluation apply in the classroom to decrease the number of problem behaviors and increase academic and social success. This paper presents a description of the key features of effective classroom PBS and demonstrates each via the use of case examples. The premise of PBS is that the more effectively the environment is designed, more effective it can be in facilitating classrooms that run smoothly and efficiently, allowing teachers to recognize, assess, and plan for students with special needs.

Education Can Be a Research Subject Too, Through Scientific Teaching

“…These tools have been especially useful in uncovering the power of cooperative learning [68][69][70] while also allowing educational researchers to realize that there can exist a wide range of variability in the ways different students respond to the same teaching technique, even when this technique is applied in the same way to the same academic subject. These results have had significant implications in helping educators better understand the conditions that facilitate more inclusive learning [71][72][73].…”

Scientific Teaching and Active Learning yet to Revolutionize Education in East Asia

“…Tools to gauge student attitudes about classes (Semsar, Knight, Birol, & Smith, 2011;Preszler, Dawe, Shuster, & Shuster, 2007), different learning methods (Valenta, Therriault, Dieter, & Mrtek, 2001;Suanpang, Petocz, & Kalceff, 2004), and group work dynamics (Hassanien, 2006;Orr, 2010;Zhang, Johnston, & Kilic, 2008) have all been very helpful in identifying some of the challenges and barriers to better learning. One of the important conclusions drawn from this work is the surprising degree of variability in the way different students may respond differently to the same learning methods, with obvious consequences for more inclusive learning (Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000;César & Santos, 2006;Scott, Park, Swain-Bradway, & Landers, 2007).…”

A Systematic Review of Behavioral Interventions for Elementary School Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties: Contributions from Single-Case Research Studies

“…Environmental changes such as increasing structure and predictability, reducing distractions, creating routines, establishing goals, and offering rewards represent interventions that may help to prevent inappropriate behaviours that generally have an escalation when treated only with reprimands and referrals (Scott et al, 2007). Moreover, because of their aggressive style and propensity towards opposing the rules, children with SEBDs often establish negative relationships and thus may seem outwardly sociable and outgoing.…”