Biography of Primary Presenter
Dr. Stuckey taught high school special education for 12 years before shifting gears to engage in teacher preparation in special education. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from Georgia State University in 2015 and is an assistant professor in the Inclusive and Special Education program at Western Carolina University. She is interested in students with high incidence disabilities, teachers' use of positive classroom behavior supports, adolescent and high school student-teacher interactions, and urban and rural children's language and literacy development.
Presentation Abstract
Of the available classroom and home reinforcers for desired student behavior, one that is free, easy to administer, and can contribute to positive interactions for both students and adults is the use of Behavior-Specific Praise (BSP; Elswick & Casey, 2011; Gable et al., 2009; Sutherland, 2000). However, researchers have for decades overlooked its possible effectiveness for high school students with and without disabilities, as demonstrated by the paucity of available studies into teacher use of BSP in high schools (e.g., Hawkins & Heflin, 2011; Simonson et al., 2010). One possible reason may rest simply on adults’ beliefs that high school students might not care about feedback from adults (Brophy, 1981). However, a review of current and past research suggests otherwise. This session will present findings of a review of the literature on BSP in high schools, with recommendations for practitioners’ use of it in inclusive secondary settings. Also included will be implications for providing academic and behavioral corrective feedback (T. M. Scott, personal communication, May 12, 2016) and influencing students’ mindset for academic growth through the use of BSP (Dweck, 2002). Finally, participants will discuss application of BSP in home and community settings.
Recommended Citation
Stuckey, Adrienne, "What’s the State of Praise in the High School Classroom?" (2016). Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference. 31.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gapbs/2016/2016/31
What’s the State of Praise in the High School Classroom?
Of the available classroom and home reinforcers for desired student behavior, one that is free, easy to administer, and can contribute to positive interactions for both students and adults is the use of Behavior-Specific Praise (BSP; Elswick & Casey, 2011; Gable et al., 2009; Sutherland, 2000). However, researchers have for decades overlooked its possible effectiveness for high school students with and without disabilities, as demonstrated by the paucity of available studies into teacher use of BSP in high schools (e.g., Hawkins & Heflin, 2011; Simonson et al., 2010). One possible reason may rest simply on adults’ beliefs that high school students might not care about feedback from adults (Brophy, 1981). However, a review of current and past research suggests otherwise. This session will present findings of a review of the literature on BSP in high schools, with recommendations for practitioners’ use of it in inclusive secondary settings. Also included will be implications for providing academic and behavioral corrective feedback (T. M. Scott, personal communication, May 12, 2016) and influencing students’ mindset for academic growth through the use of BSP (Dweck, 2002). Finally, participants will discuss application of BSP in home and community settings.
