CHFA | Psychology Department Showcase: Projects In-Progress
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Criminal Justice
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Amanda Joyce, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Schools have the unique and important opportunity to teach students useful life and coping skills as well as positive behavior in their community. One way in which they may impact their students is through their choice of disciplinary methods. Research suggests that alternative disciplinary methods may be more beneficial to students than are traditional exclusionary policies. For part one of this study, undergraduate students reported their experiences with traditional and alternative discipline in elementary, middle, and high school as well as their engagement in school (school involvement and attitudes of school faculty). Previous studies showed that having alternative methods at a young age is significantly correlated with more involvement at school, better outlook of teachers and counselors, and lower disciplinary issues in future educational settings. Surprisingly, given the utility of these alternative methods, they are not often utilized in schools, perhaps because teachers and counselors feel constrained to using more traditional disciplinary techniques (Merrett & Wheldall, 1986; Teasley, 2014).
The purpose of the current study is to examine disciplinary techniques from the perspective of school employees. I will survey teachers, administrators, and counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools through a teacher forum and social media sites. The questions come from a revised Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991) and the Measuring Authoritative Teaching Questionnaire (Ertesvåg, 2011), the Sense of Agency Scale (Tapal et. al, 2017), as well as questions regarding levels of perceived control and disciplinary methods used. I hypothesize positive correlations among perceived control and decision-making, communication with administrators, and use of alternative disciplinary methods. I also hypothesize that the more authoritarian teaching will be associated with higher use of traditional disciplinary methods and lower use of alternative discipline, whereas the opposite will be true for authoritative teachers.
Spring Scholars Week 2023 Event
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Faculty in Education: Perception of Control and Alternative Disciplinary Methods
Schools have the unique and important opportunity to teach students useful life and coping skills as well as positive behavior in their community. One way in which they may impact their students is through their choice of disciplinary methods. Research suggests that alternative disciplinary methods may be more beneficial to students than are traditional exclusionary policies. For part one of this study, undergraduate students reported their experiences with traditional and alternative discipline in elementary, middle, and high school as well as their engagement in school (school involvement and attitudes of school faculty). Previous studies showed that having alternative methods at a young age is significantly correlated with more involvement at school, better outlook of teachers and counselors, and lower disciplinary issues in future educational settings. Surprisingly, given the utility of these alternative methods, they are not often utilized in schools, perhaps because teachers and counselors feel constrained to using more traditional disciplinary techniques (Merrett & Wheldall, 1986; Teasley, 2014).
The purpose of the current study is to examine disciplinary techniques from the perspective of school employees. I will survey teachers, administrators, and counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools through a teacher forum and social media sites. The questions come from a revised Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991) and the Measuring Authoritative Teaching Questionnaire (Ertesvåg, 2011), the Sense of Agency Scale (Tapal et. al, 2017), as well as questions regarding levels of perceived control and disciplinary methods used. I hypothesize positive correlations among perceived control and decision-making, communication with administrators, and use of alternative disciplinary methods. I also hypothesize that the more authoritarian teaching will be associated with higher use of traditional disciplinary methods and lower use of alternative discipline, whereas the opposite will be true for authoritative teachers.