Latent Profiles of Observed Classroom Management Behaviors

Introduction:  Abundant research has documented the effects of particular classroom management strategies (e.g., praise, reprimands, inconsistent discipline) on student outcomes and classroom climates (Haydon et al., 2010; Simonsen et al., 2010).  Recent research has broadened the focus beyond individual variables to examine patterns of strategies within given classrooms (e.g. Dever & Karabenick, 2011; Gregory et al., 2010).  This line of research seeks to identify different types of classroom environments based on the relative occurrence of various well-established classroom management variables. In this study, we identified profiles of classrooms based on four dimensions of classroom practices (praise, criticisms, inconsistent discipline, and harsh interactions) and then determined whether these profiles were differentially associated with important classroom and student outcomes. 

Method: Ninety seven kindergarten (n=42) and first grade (n=55) teachers in fourteen public elementary schools in a large city in the northwestern United States participated in the study. Independent direct observations were conducted in each classroom by trained observers for 30 minutes. A frequency count of teacher praise and critical statements were collected using the MOOSES (Tapp, Wehby, and Ellis,1995) observation coding system and reliability checks occurred on 20% of observations. Observers also completed the Teacher Coder Impressions Inventory at the end of each observation including the Harsh and Inconsistent Discipline subscales. The ICC’s for all observation codes exceeded .80. 

Results: Latent profile analyses identified a four distinct classroom profiles.  Two profiles were characterized by high rates of both inconsistency and harshness. The relative rates of praise to criticism in these two classes was approximately equal; one class averaged one praise statement and one critical comment per minute and the other averaged one of each per three minutes. The other two profiles were characterized by low harshness and inconsistency. In these two classes, praise rates occurred twice as frequently as critical comments; in one class, praise rates occurred once per minute and in the other praise rates occurred every three minutes. Subsequent latent class regressions revealed that all classes were distinguished by levels of student disruptive behaviors, academic involvement, and classroom atmosphere in expected directions. 

Discussion: Rather than absolute rates of individual variables, adaptive classrooms profiles were distinguished by low levels of harsh interactions and inconsistent discipline and higher praise rates relative to criticisms. Findings suggest optimal classroom environments occur in the relative context of key dimensions rather than in the frequency of any single characteristic.