Content area
Full Text
Abstract. Off-task and disruptive classroom behavior impedes the learning of the children emitting these behaviors as well as the delivery of instruction to the entire class, which may lead to decreased academic achievement and more severe behavior problems. A meta-analysis of the single-case literature was conducted to understand the effectiveness of class-wide interventions in supporting student behavior in general education settings. Twenty-nine studies of K-12 classrooms, published between January 1969 and September 2015, were included for analysis. Two effect sizes, the Hedges, Pustejovsky, and Shadish (2012, 2013) ¿-statistic and Tau-U (Parker, Vannest, Davis, & Sauber, 2011), were calculated for relevant studies and designs. The results of a random-effects meta-analysis using the ¿-statistic resulted in an estimated overall effect of 2.04 (95% CI [1.67, 2.41]) and an overall effect of 0.93 (95% CI [0.87, 0.99]) using Tau-U. The implications of these findings for interventions implemented in the general education classroom are discussed.
Problematic student behavior is a daily struggle for many classroom teachers across the United States. Studies have shown that up to 15% of students break classroom rules on a regular basis (Curwin & Mendler, 1988), and 1%-7% of students demonstrate chronic disruptive behavior (Sugai, Sprague, Horner, & Walker, 2000). These behaviors negatively impact academic engagement, academic achievement, and students' sense of classroom safety, while also increasing teacher stress (Malecki & Elliot, 2002; Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2003/2004). Ineffective attempts to control disruptive behavior (e.g., the overuse of reprimands) create chaotic classroom environments, cost precious instructional time, and can mediate the benefits of evidence-based academic programs (Haydon & Hunter, 2011; Kellam, Mayer, Rebok, & Hawkins, 1998). Furthermore, early disruptive classroom behaviors may progress into more significant behavioral and mental health issues under ineffective classroom management (Greer-Chase, Rhodes, & Kellam, 2002; Oliver, Wehby, & Reschly, 2011).
The challenge is that many general education teachers report not having the skills or knowledge to effectively deal with the problem behaviors that they face in the classroom. In fact, over 40% of teachers participating in the Schools and Staffing Survey indicated that they felt "not at all prepared" or "only somewhat prepared" to handle behavioral issues in the classroom (Greenberg, Putnam, & Walsh, 2014), despite the fact that classroom management has been reported to be the top concern...