Teacher Perceptions of Student Needs and Implications for Positive Behavior Supports

The practices of school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) are dependent on teachers to implement them in their classrooms; thus, gaining the "buy-in" and support of teachers is a critical step in reaching full, building-wide implementation. One step toward achieving this support may be to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and practices of teachers. To this end, 69 preservice and practicing teachers were provided four fictitious student scenarios and asked to describe potential social, behavioral, emotional, and academic needs and the method in which they would address the needs of these students. Written responses were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and major themes related to social, emotional, and behavioral supports were identified. Across all responses, we noted both common themes and tensions in teacher perceptions that may have important implications for SWPBS. Differences in responses were noted by level of teaching experience. Different trends were also noted in the responses of teachers in schools implementing SWPBS and those in schools without SWPBS. Detailed results, study limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.