Classroom Dynamics and Children at Risk: A Followup

Abstract

The two studies reported in this article followed up on an initial investigation of classroom dynamics and young children identified as at risk (AR) for developing learning, emotional, and behavioral disorders (LD/EBD) (Lago-Dellelo, 1998). In the present studies, measures were taken of teacher-student interactions, peer interactions, students' perceptions of their teachers' expectations, student self-perceptions, and academic engaged time. In our first study, when the children were in grades 2 and 3, results replicated those of Lago-Dellelo (1998) conducted the previous year when the children were in grades 1 and 2. That is, significant differences between students at risk for LD/EBD and not-at-risk (NAR) peers were found for type of teacher responses and academic engaged time. Teachers made significantly more negative and nonacademic responses to the AR students, who spent significantly less time on task than NAR peers. In our second followup study, when the children were in grades 3 and 4, significant differences between groups were found for academic engaged time, self-perceptions, and perceptions of teachers' expectations. At-risk students spent less time on task, perceived themselves more negatively, and perceived their teachers as having more negative expectations of them than did NAR students. These findings suggest that as children at risk for LD/EBD get older, they begin to realize that their teachers view them negatively, and in turn begin to view themselves negatively. The effects of this realization on the these students' achievement and self-esteem as well as adult and peer relationships in later years need to be further explored.