Relationship Between Paraprofessionals' Use of Behavior Management Strategies and Student Disruptive Behaviors

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Improving Classroom Management of Teachers and Paraeducators (Table 8)

Abstract

Paraprofessionals’ facilitate the learning and behavior of students with disruptive behavior difficulties, yet receive very little training and professional development for classroom behavioral management. Subsequently, little research has documented paraprofessionals’ use of evidence-based behavioral management strategies. Using a sample of 54 paraprofessionals and 147 students across grades K-5, this study examined the convergent validity of observed paraprofessionals’ behavior management strategy usage and students’ academic engagement and disruptive behaviors. Paraprofessionals’ strategy use and students’ behaviors were simultaneously observed using a momentary time sampling observational protocol. Descriptive analytics evidenced both desirable and undesirable use of behavior strategy use by paraprofessionals and correlational analyses demonstrated significant relationships between specific paraprofessional strategies and student academic engagement and disruptive behaviors.

Authors

• Christopher M. Dudek, Rutgers University

• Linda Reddy, Rutgers University

• Todd A. Glover, Rutgers University