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Abstract
It is well established that teacher praise has a positive effect on student disruptive behavior. However, there is little research suggesting how often Kindergarten teachers praise students in the classroom. This study aimed to collect praise frequency data across four general education Kindergarten classrooms. The type of praise teachers used and how teachers delivered praise were specifically analyzed. Results indicated that Kindergarten teachers praised students frequently and the rate of total praise was similar across teachers. Kindergarten teachers also used more general praise and fewer behavior-specific praises. However, Kindergarten rates of behavior-specific praise were higher in this study compared with other research. Continued research on general education teachers’ rate of praise may be useful to schoolwide behavior intervention planning and teacher consultation.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the assistance of the participating teachers in addition to the students at Eastern Illinois University for their assistance with data collection.
Funding
This study was funded by Eastern Illinois University's College of Sciences Seed Grant and Early Research Support Grant.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Margaret T. Floress
Margaret T. Floress is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. Her research interests are the prevention and treatment of childhood emotional and behavioral disorders, positive behavioral intervention, school and family-based consultation, and pediatric sleep disorders.
Lyndsay N. Jenkins
Lyndsay N. Jenkins is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. Her research interests are bullying and victimization, academic enablers, and teacher praise.