Catalina Dvila

February 11, 2015

LSI 346
Article One

Teacher characteristics, social classroom relationship, and childrens

social, emotional, and behavioral classroom adjustments in special
education.
This article is about a study that was conducted to understand the
relationship between teacher characteristics, social classroom relationships,
and students social, emotional, behavioral in the classroom. During this
study teacher characteristics were defined by: competence and wellbeing.
Social classroom relationships were defined by teacher-and-child interaction
as well as peer interaction. The study was conducted on both individuals and
in the classroom setting. There were a total of 414 children all in grades first
through sixth with sever emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who were
currently placed in special education. The hypothesizes for the study were
the following: teacher-student and peer interaction determine students
social, emotional, and behavioral adjustments; classroom levels of childrens
adjustment to be predicted by teacher competence and wellbeing; that
teacher-student and peer interaction is predicted by childrens classroom
adjustment, and the teacher-student and peer interaction impacted by
teacher competence and wellbeing.

Overall, in general classrooms, there has been a direct connection in

the success of students to the teacher characteristics and positive
environment. A positive learning environment and teacher characteristics
impacts those students who are in a special education class in a greater
manner. It was shown that when teacher-and-students have a encouraging
relationship students with EBD are able to adjust better to the changes that
happen in the classroom, develop social skills, and possess a higher school
motivation. In the contrary when there is a negative teacher-and-students
relationship this translates into loneliness, depression, and the disliking of
peers.
The results shed light on teacher characteristics and the impact on the
students as well as on the classroom environment. The study was able to
determine that teacher-student closeness was lower for boys and girls in
special education than in general education. However, it was observed that
there were more pro-social behaviors in special education as opposed to
general education. In the special education setting it was seen that boys
were less likely to dislike a peer where as for girls there was a higher
percentage of girls disliking their peers.
Through the study it was seen that emotional and behavioral problems
were associated with less teacher-student closeness, as well as negative
classroom peer interaction increased emotional and behavioral problems.
Teacher-student closeness showed positive social, emotional, and behavioral
classroom adjustment. Teachers with more wellbeing were able to create

higher levels of student pro-social behaviors thus creating higher levels of

teacher and peer interactions. Strangely highly classroom levels of emotional
problems were linked to more positive interaction. Students who displayed
more behavioral problems experienced a hostile peer classroom
environment.
I was very intrigued by this article when I read the title. I will be
student teaching in spring and I am thinking of where Id like to teach. As a
CPS alumni I know I would like to teach in CPS and I will have students with
special needs in my classroom therefore this article was very helping in
understanding what things I can do and should not do as a new teacher. I
thought this was a great article because all the information was nicely
explained and easily to follow. The reader is able to clearly understand the
study from reading the abstract section.
Something that was very thoughtful from this article was how it
mentioned the missing data. There was missing data from second grade. In
determining the data with missing data, they were careful to present the
correct outcomes from the study as to
produce an unbiased estimate for the
missing data. The honesty of
mentioning that there was missing
data allows for credibility to be
established. Overall understanding
the article was facilitated and the

results were directed by their hypothesizes. The inclusion of data tables and
flow charts presented the data in multiple forms appealing to distinctive
readers hence including every type of reader.
As we discussed the first day in class this is the only special education
course required for elementary and secondary education. In this class I have
learned a lot so far yet I still feel there is many things I do not know. Reading
the chapters for class, seeing an IEP, and now reading this article has
showed me that our job as teachers is to facilitate learning to students with
special needs but also to create a safe and welcoming environment due to
the great impacts a great education can have on them. From the article I was
shocked to learn that there was less teacher- students closeness in special
education as I thought and expected the opposite. I want to be a teacher
who has a balance and is able to have a good relationship with her students.
From observations for this course as well as for other classes I have been
able to make connections after reading the article, which has been extremely
helpful. Being able to make connections from our course, the observations,
and the article has allowed me to comprehend this course better.

Bibliography

- L.D. Breeman, T. Wubbels, P.A.C. van Lier, F.C. Verhulst, J. van der Ende, A.
Maras, J.A.B. Hopman, N.T. Tick, Teacher characteristics, social classroom
relationships, and children's social, emotional, and behavioral classroom
adjustment in special education, Journal of School Psychology, Volume 53,

Issue 1, February 2015, Pages 87-103, ISSN 0022-4405,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.11.005.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022440514000995)
Keywords: Special educational needs; Emotional and behavioral problems;
Teacherchild relationship; Peer relations; Teacher competence and wellbeing