New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics

Date:
March 30, 2011
Source:
SAGE Publications
Summary:
Despite popular belief, a new study finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades.
Share:
FULL STORY

Despite popular belief, a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina -- Charlotte (Bob Algozzine, Chuang Wang and Amy Violette) followed 350 students in seven at-risk schools over a 5-year period. They assessed both teacher perceptions of student behavior and academic achievement, as well as actual performance. They found that teachers were more likely to report that well-behaved students did better academically and expected more of them -- even when some of these students were struggling with school-work. At the same time, students who acted out in school were seen as having more academic difficulties, even though this was not always the case.

"Children are not well served when teachers believe that teaching behavior requires different skills than teaching academics," said lead author Algozzine. "Or that teaching academics will magically improve behavior."

The researchers concluded that it is important not to focus solely on improving academic or behavior problems in at-risk students, but to emphasize teaching both behavior and academic skills for these children.

"The take-away message in our work is that children have to be carefully taught academics and behavior if we want to see evidence of these accomplishments in school," said Algozzine.


Story Source:

Materials provided by SAGE Publications. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. B. Algozzine, C. Wang, A. S. Violette. Reexamining the Relationship Between Academic Achievement and Social Behavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2010; 13 (1): 3 DOI: 10.1177/1098300709359084

Cite This Page:

SAGE Publications. "Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 March 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110329172357.htm>.
SAGE Publications. (2011, March 30). Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110329172357.htm
SAGE Publications. "Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110329172357.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES