Does positive reinforcement improve social skills of third grade students with behavioral disability? Strategies to use to improve the students with behavior disability are often a concern for almost all teachers. Safe and conducive classroom environment depends on how the teachers can effectively address the students’ behavioral issues to ensure that learning is happening for each individual learner. Researchers have found out that positive reinforcement is one of the behavior management strategies that work in helping the students with behavioral disability. Teachers need to be equipped with techniques on how to manage the students’ behavior to ensure that students achieve the high learning expectations for each individual learner in the classroom.
Maag, J.W. (2001) stated that “ Managing students’ challenging behaviors effectively will continue to be a frustrating endeavor until teachers view misbehavior as an opportunity for increasing positive social interaction rather than being something to be punished”(p.182). Educators need to plan a strategy that is positively proactive in managing the challenging behavior rather than be reactive to the misbehavior.
Being proactive always anticipates misbehavior thereby the teacher can be ready to positively address the behavior even before it occurs. Positive reinforcement requires planning for it to be efficient and effective. It is necessary to plan the positive reinforcement strategies in order to maintain a positive classroom environment. Positive classroom environment ensures that individual learners achieve high learning expectation because the students and teachers feel safe and secure in their interaction with each other without the fear of being interrupted by a disrupted behavior.
Standard Practice of Behavior Intervention Plan
Educators have long been aware of the needs of the students with behavioral needs. They have always tried to find ways to address the issue on the effective behavior management to help teachers manage the students’ behavior that will pave the way to a safe and conducive learning environment. Killu, K., Weber, K.P., Derby, & K.M., Barretto, A. (2006) conducted a research that focused on finding out the standard practice in implementing the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) for each student with behavioral needs. The result of the research states that though (Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to make and implement a Behavior Intervention Plan based on the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for students with behavioral needs, still many schools fail to comply with the mandate. The school personnel in different states receive different trainings in implementing the Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) for each student with behavioral needs. This finding showed that the lack of standard guidelines in using the BIP’s/PBSPs can lead to ineffective use of the positive behavioral interventions. “The purpose of developing BIPs/PBSPs is to be proactive in the treatment of an individual with behavioral problem and not as a reactive measure to deal with problem behaviors of students with behavioral needs” (Killu, et al, 2006).
Moreover, Gable, R.A., Quinn, M.M., Rutherford, R.B., & Howell, K. (1999) states that in order for the Behavioral Intervention Plan/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to be proactive, effective and appropriate to the students’ behavioral needs, the BIPs/PBIS should be based on the completed Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). This is very important because no individual has the same severity of behavioral problem. The cause of each individual student’s behavioral problem also varies depending on the student’s emotional need. The ultimate goal of the FBA is to tailor-make an appropriate plan that will benefit the student. A BIP can also elicit appropriate and socially accepted behavior from the students if it is based on the accepted FBA. The success of the intervention depends on the interrelation of the FBA, BIP and PBIS in working towards the improvement of the maladaptive behavior.
The Importance of Behavior Management
Teachers’ main concern is to help the students attain their optimum level of performance in all content areas of learning. Teachers can only achieve this goal when they are able to manage the students’ behavior in the classroom. Behavior management is also needed to effectively deliver the lessons to ensure that each individual learner in the classroom is learning. Danielson stated that (2007), “a teacher’s skill in managing student behavior can only be observed in the classroom” (p.73). Thus, teachers should be equipped with techniques on how to manage the students’ behavior to ensure that students are performing successfully in school.
Self- Monitoring Technique
One of the positive intervention plans that can best apply to students with behavioral needs is the use of self-monitoring technique wherein the students are the one in-charge of tracking their own behavior. Ganz (2008) noted that this type of intervention is applicable to all types of learners with and without behavioral problems. This is also efficient and less time consuming on the part of the teacher. Among the steps that need to be followed is to identify the targeted behavior and decide on the possible reward that will best motivate the students to work towards the desired behavior. The success of this strategy depends on the reward that the students will receive. It would be best to start small goals for students to feel successful. In doing so, the students’ self-confidence is also being reinforced enough to focus their interest in achieving the acceptable and appropriate behavior. According to Ganz, data collection is also important to this type of positive intervention plan in order to monitor the effectiveness of the program. Varying the reward is necessary too to ensure the motivating factor for the students to keep on working towards the desired appropriate and socially acceptable behavior.
Implications for Research
Strong evidence showed that the use of positive intervention plan is very much effective in molding the students to appropriately behave in the way that can be beneficial to self and to others. It is important to note that in order for the intervention to be successful, adherence to IDEA’s mandate be strongly followed. IDEA requires all schools to establish a sound FBA to serve as a strong foundation to which BIPs would be built upon to ensure the success of the program. Researches also pointed out that one of the teachers’ responsibilities is to manage the students’ behavior to ensure that the high learning expectations for all individual learners are being met.The review of literature on the effects of positive reinforcement to the students with behavioral disability showed that there is a need to develop standard behavioral plan using positive reinforcement as a strategy. Based on research, positive reinforcement is a powerful tool in modifying a student’s maladaptive behavior provided that the personnel involve in implementing the positive reinforcement as a strategy has received standard training to ensure the effectiveness of the program
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