Contextual Factors Associated With Variability in Middle School Teachers' Support of Student Engagement and Behavior

• In Event: Classroom Observation SIG Roundtable

Abstract

Teachers’ provision of support for student engagement and behavior is typically studied using an aggregate of rating of multiple observations. Understanding within-teacher variability across observations may also be important for understanding and improving students’ classroom experiences. This study explored relations between contextual factors and within-teacher variation in multiple measures of 284 middle school teachers’ support of student engagement and behavior. Most outcomes indicated better support when a higher proportion of students in the classroom were White; analyses also suggested learning format and time of day had potential influences on teachers’ provision of support. These results raise important questions regarding equity in students’ educational experiences, and provide insights to guide the appropriate use of observational classroom measures for practice and research.

Authors

• Chelsea Duran, University of Virginia

• Summer Braun, University of Virginia

• Jessika Bottiani, University of Virginia

• Catherine P. Bradshaw, University of Virginia