Improving On-Task Behaviors in the Classrooms

By Dr. George N. Ohakamnu

The present-day students (regular and special education) have some difficulties remaining on task in the classroom, especially the students classified as the at-risk (learning disabled, behavioral disordered, etc). Therefore, it becomes imperative to design a proactive methodology or strategy that may create on-task behavior while teaching and learning are taking place in the classroom. Note that no one strategy is enough to contain behavior-problem students; hence, the partner-check self-recording strategy was designed to induce on task behavior for a considerable amount of time among elementary school children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503574281

Dr. George N. Ohakamnu

The author, Dr. George N. Ohakamnu, lives in New York City with his family. He has a combined twenty-four years of teaching experience in the New York City Public School System and also as an adjunct faculty of the Graduate School of Education of the College of New Rochelle, New York. He is easily accessible and a well-rooted community organizer.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Dr. George N. Ohakamnu.

ISBN:      Softcover   978-1-5035-7429-8

                eBook          978-1-5035-7428-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 05/30/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

708679

Contents

Section 1

INTRODUCTION

Statement of the Problem

Research Questions

Research Hypotheses

The Research Objective

Purpose Statement

The Theoretical Framework

Definition of Terms

Disability Acronyms used in the Study

The Scope of the Study

Assumptions of the Study

The Limitations of the Study

Delimitations of the Study

Significance of the Study

Implications for Social Change

Summary

Section 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Search Strategies

Search Terms

Criteria for Selection of Relevant Studies

Search Results

Need for Self-monitoring

Positive Outcomes of Self-Recording Interventions

What Are the Self-Management Components?

Self-Monitoring

Self-Evaluation

Self-reinforcement

Self-recording

Participants in the Reviewed Studies

Summary

Section 3

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Approach

Setting and Sample

Instrumentation and Materials

Reliability and Validity of Test Instruments

Calculation of Scores

Teaching of Self-recording

Intervention Procedures

Data Analysis

Participants’ Rights

Summary

Section 4

RESULTS

Presentation and Analysis of Data

Results

Presentation of Data by Research Question

Statistical Summary

Summary

Section 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of the Study

Interpretations of the Findings

Recommendations

The Need for further Studies

Reflections

APPENDIX

Appendix A: Observation Form Partner-Check Self-Recording

Appendix B: Daily Partner-Checks Self-Recording

Appendix C: Data Calculation Formulars

List of Table

Table 1 Participant Characteristics in the Reviewed Studies

Table 2 Study Type, Design Features, Intervention Characteristics, and Outcome(s) for the 19 Reviewed Studies

Table 3 Intervention Group Scores and Student Descriptive Characteristics

Table 4 Control Group Scores and Student Descriptive Characteristics

Table 5 Group Statistics for the Math Test Scores

Table 6 Independent Sample Test

ABSTRACT

Due to the increase in behavior problems among school children, especially with the at-risk children who have problems staying on-task, there is the need to seek a teaching strategy that will enable children to be focused and on task in the classroom. This quantitative study investigated whether (a) partner-check self-recording of on-task behavior will increase the academic productivity of children with behavior problems; and (b), whether partner-check self-recording of on-task behavior will increase the on-task behavior of children with behavior problems. The theoretical foundations of the study were based in behavior modification. A between-groups design with a convenience sample of 51 students who were assigned to intervention and control groups was employed. The collected data included pretest and posttest scores obtained from New York State 5th grade standardized Mathematics test. An independent t-test revealed that pre-post gains of the intervention group were significantly more than those of the control group, t (42) = 4.91, p. < .01, two tailed. Comparative gain scores indicated that the intervention group made more academic gains than the control group. Partner-check self-recording also provided a safe learning environment due to increased on-task behavior among participants who were actively involved during the intervention. This validates an alternative classroom management style for the teacher. Children with behavior problems may remain on task for a longer period of time and thus increase productivity in the classroom. The study affects social change by helping at-risk children learn, complete schooling and adopt more generalized patterns of cooperative and productive social interactions with others beyond the classroom.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my wife, Mrs. Collet Chigekwu Ohakamnu and children: Goodman, Joy, Wisdom, and Henry. I do hope that my children will appreciate and learn that it takes hard work and sacrifice to accomplish big goals. Finally, I will like to dedicate this book to my mother Lolo Maria Chiomadiuko Ohakamnu and to my late father, Chief Silas U. Ohakamnu who was instrumental to my academic achievements but could not live to witness the apogee of my academic success. I am gracious to every one who helped in one way or another to better my life experiences.

AUDIENCE

This book is meant for classroom teachers, school administrators, and student teachers in undergraduate and graduate schools who may be teaching the at-risk students at the primary and high school levels. It is also good for anyone who takes care of children that have problems remaining on task for a considerable amount of time.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe sincere gratitude to many individuals who have provided assistance and encouragement during this research study. I salute Dr. Ashraf Esmail and Dr. Raj Singh for mentoring and guiding me throughout the study. Their professionalism was highly appreciated. Special thanks to Ms. Daphne Price whose class was used during the experimental study and who assisted during intervention observations and data collection. My thanks go to Mr. Dominick Simione whose class was used as the control group during the research study. I thank all the students who participated in the study and their parents who consented for their participations. My thanks as well go to Ms. Perkins for allowing her 5th grade class to be used for the pilot study. I must not forget to thank Chief L. N. Obioha who was approached at the last minute for technical assistance. This study could not have been completed without the cooperation and support of Mrs. Louise Sodotto, Principal of Public School 76, Bronx New York who approved the use of her school and students for this project. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Mrs. Collet C. Ohakamnu, my children, and friends for their continuous unwavering support…

PARTNER CHECK SELF-RECORDING AS A BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOL RELATED OTHERS.

Section 1

INTRODUCTION

This book was put together after a quantitative study on partner-check self-recording as a behavior management strategy. Noticeably, there are serious behavior problems among school-aged children that hinder teaching and learning in the classroom across the globe. Many of these students (at-risk children) demonstrate off-task behaviors during teaching and learning. Reasons for these problem behaviors could be as a result of some kinds of disabilities or other environmental factors. Because of these erratic and distractive behaviors, these children barely can complete an assigned task in the classroom within an allotted time frame and have problems learning in the classroom. Plenty of time is wasted trying to engage students in the classroom. The common class rules are not enough these days because these class rules may not have appreciative values. In addition to using the class rules and other research based behavior management strategies to manage and contain the inherent off task behaviors; the academic community has continued to search for better ways of helping the at-risk students to succeed in the school system. Partner Check Self-recording strategy may be a long sought on task panacea to minimize or even eradicate students off task behavior in the classroom.

In this quantitative research study, an independent sample t-test versus paired sample t-test indicated that the pre-post gains of the intervention group were significantly more than those of the control group, t (42) = 4.909, p > .05. Based on this result, partner-check self-recording should