The relationship between affective teacher behavior and teacher ability to modify the behavior of students through the use of approval

Purpose The major purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between affective teacher behavior and teacher ability to modify the behavior of students through the use of teacher approval.

Method Twelve teachers, randomly selected from a group of 2l middle school teachers in an urban school district in South Carolina, participated in the study. Teachers identified two target students from among their morning classes. Teachers were requested to consider only those students who displayed an excessive amount of inappropriate behavior as possible target students. Target behaviors included: getting out of one's seat without permission, excessive talking, inattentive behavior, task relevant behavior, appropriate socializing, etc. Baseline data were collected for a period of two weeks on student and teacher behavior. Teacher behaviors which were monitored included: approvals (verbal and nonverbal), approvals of target students, disapprovals of target students, instruction, performing routine tasks, and socializing.

Teachers' affective levels were determined from target students' ratings of a series of videotaped simulated episodes of teacher-student interactions which depicted different degrees of teacher approval and teacher empathy. Target students rated each scene in terms of how much their teacher was like the teacher in each of the videotaped excerpts.

Teachers received a classification of high, middle, or low depending on the extent to which they responded empathically and approvingly to target students.

Teachers then received two hours of training in the principles of reinforcement with emphasis on social praise and the value of teacher approval. Training components included small group discussions and discussion of selected portions of a teacher handbook of instructional techniques prepared by the Experimenter. During treatment, teachers were required to praise target students five times daily during the 25 minute experimental session. Attentiveness, study skills, and social behaviors were the focus of most teacher praise.

Treatment data were collected for five weeks. An affective post-test was administered to all target students at the conclusion of the experiment to determine if students detected a change in teacher behavior during treatment. Post-test scores were compared to pre-test averages.