Power in the classroom III: Teacher communication techniques and messages

TLDR

This study is the third in a series examining teacher power in the classroom. The study aimed to generate an expanded list of behavior alternation techniques (BATs) and corresponding messages (BAMs) that elementary and secondary teachers use and find effective for managing student behavior. Students produced unrestricted lists of universal BATs and BAMs, from which 18 BATs with sample BAMs were selected and reviewed by public school teachers, and the authors discussed their classroom management implications. Teachers reported using and finding effective only seven BATs, mainly reward-based techniques that leverage the student’s audience, while students rarely used these BATs to influence teacher behavior, and no significant predictors of teacher use were identified.

Abstract

This study is a third in a series of investigations concerned with teacher power in the classroom. The focus of this project was on the generation of an extended list of power strategies or “behavior alternation techniques”; (BATs) and representative messages (BAMs) that elementary and secondary teachers use and perceive as effective in managing student behavior. Students generated lists of universal BATs and BAMs unrestricted by hypothetical relationships or scenarios. From these lists, 18 BATs with sample BAMs were derived and submitted for examination by public school teachers. The teachers reported frequent use and perceived effectiveness of only 7 BATs. These findings suggest that teachers feel they rely primarily on reward‐type BATs and frequently use the student's “audience”; to effect change. Teachers also reported that their students do not frequently employ any of those BATs to change teacher behavior. Potential predictors of differential teacher use of BATs (instructor gender, years taught, grade level taught, and satisfaction with teaching) were not found to be meaningful. Interpretations of the obtained BATs for classroom management are discussed.