Incentives in an Elementary Classroom
How are incentives/rewards effective in shaping student behavior in an elementary classroom? My research question examined how students react to positive reinforcement/praise better than negative reinforcement or punishment. Going off of my own observation, taking away something like recess from all students because of one students negative behavior usually does not have a huge impact on redirecting student behavior, if anything it may make it worse. As an educator there are a lot of things to take into consideration when trying to shape behavior in the classroom for example, if the student is on a 504 or IEP and may need accommodations. Based on the research, having a token economy really improves behavior in the classroom and students become more motivated. Whether the incentive is visual, tangible, or verbal, students become more self motivated and it builds a healthy relationship between the student and the teacher. Based on the findings, using certain incentives that are student-focused is very effective and will be a strategy I use in my classroom.
EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management
Brian Kaelin
Goodrich 204
10 AM – Noon