Second-Grade Teacher Use of Praise During English Language Arts Instruction: Frequency, Types, and Differences

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Student Relationships and Experiences in School: The Role of Identity, Praise, Motivation, and Memory (Table 17)

Abstract

This study aimed to describe second-grade teachers' use of different forms of praise during English Language Arts (ELA) instruction and examine if teacher characteristics were associated with differences in the use of different types of praise. Investigators recorded second grade teachers' language use during randomly selected, 15-minute excerpts (n = 912) of ELA instruction in 53 classes across 25 schools and coded for total praise, general praise, behavior-specific praise (BSP), effort-focused praise, ability-focused praise, classroom conduct-based praise, and academic-based praise. Additionally, this study explored how teacher qualification, experience, and age were related to the frequency and type of praise used in the classroom. Results indicated that rates of both total praise and BSP were regularly low. Teachers praised academic work more often than they praised appropriate classroom behavior. Findings suggest that while second-grade teachers provide low levels of total praise, they provided especially low rates of specific, contingent forms of praise that have been proven to promote child behavioral outcomes.

Author

• Miguel Anthony Garcia-Salas, Florida State University
  Presenting Author