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The Role of Teacher Behavior Management in the Development of Disruptive Behaviors: An Intervention Study with the Good Behavior Game

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Abstract

The role of teacher behavior management for children’s disruptive behavior development (hyperactive and oppositional behavior) was investigated using a universal classroom preventive intervention study. Five-hundred seventy children were followed from second to third grade of elementary school. Observations of teacher behavior management and children’s on-task and off-task classroom behavior and peer reports of hyperactive and oppositional behavior were available. Results showed that the reduced use of negative remarks of intervention teachers predicted children’s increase in on-task behavior and decrease in talking-out behavior. These improved children’s classroom behaviors in turn mediated the impact of the intervention on the development of hyperactive and oppositional behavior over the studied period. These results were similar for girls and boys. The results underscore the role of teachers’ classroom management strategies in improving children’s classroom behavior, which, in turn is an important component in the reduction of disruptive behavior development.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by a grant from the Research Foundation—Flanders (G.0380.06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven), Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Geertje Leflot, Patrick Onghena & Hilde Colpin

  2. Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Pol A. C. van Lier

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  1. Geertje Leflot
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  2. Pol A. C. van Lier
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Correspondence to Geertje Leflot.

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Leflot, G., van Lier, P.A.C., Onghena, P. et al. The Role of Teacher Behavior Management in the Development of Disruptive Behaviors: An Intervention Study with the Good Behavior Game. J Abnorm Child Psychol 38, 869–882 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9411-4

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