The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
PPEE-ISC-13e

Bibliographic reference :
Rimm-Kaufman, S.E., & Chiu, Y.J. (2007). Promoting Social and Academic Competence in the Classroom: An Intervention Study Examining the Contribution of the Responsive Classroom Approach. Psychology in the Schools, 44(4), 397-413.

Abstract :

The goal of this exploratory, longitudinal study was to assess the implementation of the Responsive Classroom (RC) approach with underprivileged students.

Two research questions were raised: (1) To what extent does use by teachers of practices included in the RC approach contribute to the development of academic and social skills among students?; and (2) To what extent is the relationship between using the RC approach and student academic and social progress influenced by the socio-economic conditions of families?

The Responsive Classroom Approach
The purpose of this approach was to create a caring classroom environment conducive to learning according to seven principles, including:
(1) Equal emphasis on social and academic skills; (2) Focus on how, as much as what, children learn; (3) Recognizing that social interaction facilitates cognitive growth; (4) Recognizing that cooperation, responsibility, self-assertion, empathy and self-control are critical social skills that children should learn; (5) Emphasis on teachers’ knowledge of children’s individual, cultural and developmental characteristics; (6) Focus on understanding children’s family contexts; and (7) Attention to the way in which adults work together within a school.

Specific practices stem from these seven principles, including: (1) Morning meetings between students and teacher to create a sense of community in the classroom with time for sharing, planning the day, etc.; (2) Clear definitions of rules and consequences logically ensuing from misdeeds; (3) Co-creation (teacher and students) of rules and expectations at the beginning of the school year; and (4) Shift from “praise” to “encouragement” such that teachers promote children’s effort and learning process, not only outcomes. Expectations of behaviour and academic performance involving a proactive rather than reactive disciplinary approach that allows more space for initiatives and choices also need to be established as part of the RC approach.

Methodology
This three-year longitudinal research involved 62 teachers and 157 students enrolled in six public schools in an urban district in the Northeast United States. Three schools adhered to the RC approach, while the three other schools became the comparison group.

Teachers completed several questionnaires that provided information on socio-demographic data, teaching practices in the classroom, student reading, writing, language and mathematics skills, perception of the teacher-student relationship, student social skills, and social behaviour in the classroom. Parents also completed a socio-demographic questionnaire at the onset of the research project.

Main Results
Results showed the positive, yet modest, outcome of the RC approach. Teachers who followed this approach felt closer to their students and saw some aspects of children’s social skills improve (self-assertion, prosocial behaviour with peers). They also saw children’s reading performance increase and levels of anxiety drop.

In addition, the presence of an underprivileged family environment did not appear to moderate the effectiveness of the RC approach. However, this exploratory research showed no evidence that the RC approach could compensate for the gap between underprivileged and privileged students.

Links :
This journal is also available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website address: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/home"

Key Words :
Social Skills, Teaching Practices, Underprivileged Environments, Academic Performance, Reading, Responsive Classroom Approach, Teacher-student Relationship, Longitudinal Study, Quantitative Analysis, Newsletter8

Monitored Countries :
United States