Positive Behavior Support in Physical Education in a Youth Development Center

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Alice M. Buchanan, Auburn UniversityFollow
Vanessa Hinton, Auburn UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Auburn University

Second Presenter's Institution

Vanessa Hinton

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Our topic relates directly to “Heart – social and emotional skills.” We used positive behavior support and interventions (PBIS) to encourage kind words and behaviors in a physical education class.

Brief Program Description

The purpose of our presentation is to describe our implementation of PBIS in physical education classes in a youth development center. The students in the center are in the custody of the state Youth Services and reside on campus. We implemented a good behavior contract with rewards. We also surveyed the students before and after implementation.

Summary

1. Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) is an alternative to what educators know as traditional classroom management techniques (Simonsen, & Sugai, 2013). Traditional practices are reactive and often punitive, and research demonstrates that punitive approaches are not effective and can in fact worsen already inappropriate behaviors (LaVigna & Willis, 2012). PBIS is a multi-tiered support system that places emphasis on proactive strategies to define, teach, and support appropriate student behaviors as a way to replace challenging behaviors. Tier I is core behavior management that 80% of the students should respond to; Tier II is supplemental behavior instruction that targets behavior needing improvement (about 15% of students), and Tier III (about 5% of students) is intensive behavior intervention (Johnson, Mellard, Fuchs, & McKnight, 2006). The conceptualization of PBS emerged from applied behavior analysis and is viewed as an alternative to the reactive behavior management strategies that employ punishment (Carr et al., 2002). PBIS addresses students’ behavioral needs and promotes independent learning, skill development, and enriched lifestyles as alternatives to challenging behaviors. PBIS encompasses the philosophy of respect for individuals; a general understanding of the individual’s interactions with the environment; a focus on teaching appropriate behavior. Hinton & Buchanan investigated effects of PBIS in a summer camp for students who were diverse and attended school in a rural system. Leveled supports include a token economy system, behavior contracts, and pre-correction techniques. Findings revealed a significant decrease in challenging behaviors when students received instruction with PBIS.

Evidence

1. The purpose of this proposal is to describe our research on the use of positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) in physical education in a youth development center for students ages 12-18. Our research questions are:

1. how did students respond to the use of PBIS in a physical education class?

2. how did students with documented serious behavior problems react to PBIS?

Frequently children who commit inappropriate social skills continue to do so even when punished, because they do not know the more appropriate replacement behavior, as it has not been taught to them. Thus, teachers should be ready to teach appropriate behaviors through social skills instruction just as they teach motor skills through motor skill instruction (Ward, 2006). Furthermore, expected social behavior may vary by context and situation. Sometimes teachers blame the students for the misbehavior rather than assuming responsibility for it themselves, expecting the students to behave as the teachers did at that age (Fernandez-Balboa, 1991). A common assumption is that a misbehaving child has done so deliberately because appropriate behaviors are not something we typically think have to be explicitly taught in classrooms or physical education. Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) is an alternative to what educators know as traditional classroom management techniques (Dunlap et al., 2000; LaVigna & Willis, 2012; Simonsen, & Sugai, 2013). Rosser-Sandt & Frey explored social stories to teach students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to wear an accelerometer in physical education class. The students wore the accelerometer and the authors make recommendations to teach social behaviors in physical education such as waiting for a turn and sharing equipment. Zimbelman and colleagues taught educators how to implement visual schedules to increase the activity levels of students. The researchers explain that sixty-four percent of the teachers stated the use of visual schedules were effective in their physical education instruction.

Biographical Sketch

1. Alice M. Buchanan is an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University. Her research, teaching, and outreach are exemplified in programs that she conducts with children in schools and after-school programs. She maintains a close relationship with local schools in which she conducts her teaching labs and research. The majority of her work is with young people that are considered underserved, including those with disabilities, and those from areas that lack resources. Her most current projects are positive behavior supports in physical education classes in a youth development center for; and issues impacting physical activity and transition in youth and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Vanessa Hinton is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling. Prior to her faculty position, Dr. Hinton taught young children within the public schools for twelve years. Dr. Hinton taught children in grades kindergarten through second grade in a high-need LEA. In this position, she served as lead special education teacher/special education coordinator, and local education agency representative for her school. Dr. Hinton’s research interests and activities are centered around teacher preparation and interventions in the area of language development and early mathematics awareness.

Keyword Descriptors

Physical Education, Youth at-risk, Tiered Support, Residential students

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Buchanan, Alice M. and Hinton, Vanessa, "Positive Behavior Support in Physical Education in a Youth Development Center" (2017). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 73.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2017/2017/73