Search

THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC OPERANT AND MODELING PRINCIPLES ON INCREASING ATTENTIVE (TASK-ORIENTED) CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR OF HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN WERE STUDIED. THE METHODS OF BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION USED IN THE STUDY WERE DISCRIMINATION-MODELING AND OPERANT CONDITIONING. SUBJECTS WERE 24 STUDENTS FROM GRADES 1 THROUGH 4 WHO WERE JUDGED HYPERACTIVE BY TEACHERS AND BY OBSERVERS. DISCRIMINATION-MODELING WAS AN OUT-OF-CLASSROOM PROCEDURE IN WHICH SUBJECTS, WHILE VIEWING A MOTION PICTURE, WERE ASKED TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN HYPERACTIVE AND TASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR. APPROPRIATE IDENTIFICATIONS OF TASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR WERE MATERIALLY AND VERBALLY REINFORCED, WHILE IDENTIFICATIONS OF HYPERACTIVE BEHAVIOR WERE MERELY VERBALLY AFFIRMED. OPERANT CONDITIONING WAS REINFORCEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM AFTER A GIVEN BEHAVIOR HAD OCCURRED. THE SUBJECTS WERE PRETESTED AND RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN FOUR TREATMENT GROUPS--(1) EXPOSURE TO DISCRIMINATION-MODELING SESSIONS, AND OPERANT CONDITIONING WITH TASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR, (2) EXPOSURE TO DISCRIMINATION-MODELING SESSIONS, AND OPERANT CONDITIONING WITH NONTASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR, (3) EXPOSURE ONLY TO OPERANT CONDITIONING WITH TASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR, AND (4) NO EXPOSURE TO TREATMENT PROCEDURES. AFTER TREATMENTS WERE COMPLETED, ALL SUBJECTS WERE POST-TESTED. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT NEITHER THE USE OF OPERANT CONDITIONING ALONE NOR ITS USE WITH DISCRIMINATION-MODELING PRODUCED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE DIRECTION OF HIGHER TASK-ORIENTATION. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS LACK OF SIGNIFICANCE WERE GIVEN. (JH) SIGNIFICANCE WERE GIVEN. (JH)

This study investigates the effects of awareness training on the attitudes and behavior of elementary school student teachers. To determine causes for a decrease in connectedness in the teacher training experience, 10 clinical interviews with 10 ex-student teachers were conducted in 1971-72, the first two academic periods following teacher training. Open-ended interviews were guided by five questions. Results indicated five explanations for the loss of connectedness: excessive overall workload, the shock effect of shattering illusions about the profession of teaching, unrelated academic work at the University, competition, and relationship of master teacher to student teacher. Recommendations indicate a need for periodic attitude-testing before, during, and after teacher training and several years into the teaching experience in order to investigate the shifts in trust which were hypothesized by the ex-student teachers. A 19-item bibliography is included. (MJM)

This article describes a study to evaluate the impact of gestalt awareness training as a component in a one-year preservice teacher training program. (PD)

Paper presents summaries of a protocol from a negotiated accountability conference, a technique for demonstrating mutual accountability within the staff of a University Extension Division. (Author)