Managing student behavior: how ready are teachers to meet the challenge?

ABSTRACT Educators face the dilemma of zero tolerance versus zero rejection. The pressure to maintain safe classrooms while simultaneously educating all students is a challenging proposition. This article is used to share data that were collected as part of a larger study on teachers' beliefs about their own self-efficacy regarding general classroom management skills and their readiness (ability and willingness) to differentially implement specific behavior management techniques to meet the needs of individual students. secondary educators reported being significantly less able, willing, and ready to manage challenging student behaviors than their colleagues at lower grade levels. Suggestions for supporting teacher needs are offered. BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM Today's educators are asked to meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). The movement towards the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom combined with recent mandates requiring all learners to meet or even exceed established curricular guidelines, makes it increasingly challenging for educators to meet their moral and ethical responsibilities. Providing reasonable accommodations to support the progress of all learners is both a legal and ethical responsibility (Howell & Nelson, 1999). Educators have been examining the need to provide different classroom instruction to better meet diverse learning needs for decades; yet, such accommodations must extend beyond the academic realm and into the behavioral realm if students with EBD are to be provided an equal educational opportunity. Generally, a learner with an emotional or behavioral disorder is placed in a more restrictive setting than learners with other disabilities (Bradley, Henderson, & Monfore, 2004). secondary learners with EBD are more frequently suspended or expelled from school than their non-disabled peers or than students with other disabilities (Bradley, et al). Additionally, secondary learners with EBD have been arrested more than learners with other disabilities (35% to 13%, respectively). It is essential to use effective strategies to support the social and academic progress of all learners, especially those who have typically fared poorly in school, if an effective education for learners with challenging behaviors is to be realized. Nelson (2003) stated that the need for highly qualified personnel to teach students with EBD has reached a critical level. He emphasized the need for a receptive host environment if success for these students is to be facilitated. Teachers frequently report experiences of discipline-related stress when attempting to manage student misbehavior (Lewis, 1999), but they also report that holding the belief they can effectively educate their students increased their willingness to persevere through challenging tasks (Bandura, 1993). Similarly, with a strong sense of self-efficacy, teacher willingness to try new strategies (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Bishop, 1992), and the teachers' use of a variety of classroom management techniques (Woolfolk, Rosoff, and Hoy, 1990) were enhanced. It is valuable to have a wide repertoire of options when dealing with a wide variety of student needs because no single intervention is effective with all children or in all circumstances (Walker & Shea, 1998). This concept rests at the foundation of differentiating discipline. Treder, Morse, and Perron (2000) investigated the relationship between teachers' perceptions about their own self-efficacy and their willingness to include students with special needs. These authors noted that teachers often reported specific behaviors that would negatively impact their willingness to include such a student in class. The students in today's classrooms have increasingly varied needs not only academically but also behaviorally and socially(Curwin & Mendier, 1997). Additionally, when teachers felt supported and confident they were willing to accommodate for a greater variety of student needs (Hamill & Dever, 1998). …