BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 1

Behavior Intervention Plan for a Reluctant Learner

Lindsey Powell

St. Bonaventure University

May 5, 2017
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 2

Introduction & Literature Review

Reluctant learners can be a challenging group to target when trying to involve all

students in the learning process (Protheroe, 2004, p. 46). Each student is different and may

have varying reasons as to why they are reluctant to learn and participate. This makes it

extremely important to learn what motivates the student and what will keep them engaged,

providing continual support and motivating them to see their own potential. Overtime, reluctant

learners often create an image of themselves in which they believe that they are incapable of

learning and producing quality work, therefore they consider themselves to be poor students.

Their self-efficacy begins to diminish and they focus mostly on failure, which may lead to

behaviors and the need for attention or sometime of guidance. For these students it is essential

to find engaging activities that appeal to their interests and make learning relevant. These

students may enjoy being given additional involvement in the learning process, with choice of

process and product. The role of the educator in these circumstances is extremely important,

and the teacher should be modeling how to interact in the learning environment, and also teach

these students to set and achieve goals. Reluctant learners may lose interest in school and

therefore do not set and achieve goals. These students need guidance on how to set both short

and long-term goals.

This specifically relates to my targeted student, in that he is reluctant to learn and may

need specific differentiated instruction in order to properly learn and be engaged. In his student

interview, he discussed how many teachers perceive him as a bad kid or that he is not

interested. This connects to reluctant learners developing an image of themselves in which they

feel they are incapable of learning and therefore just give up. In order to find ways to engage

him in learning, it is necessary to implement some strategies that provide him with choice in how

he completes and participates in activities. He needs the additional modeling to learn how to

interact in the academic setting.

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Protheroe, N. (2004). Motivating reluctant learners. September/October, 45-49.

Family, peers, and educator involvement in the academic experiences of children can

help to encourage motivation and social relationships in school (Wentzel, 1998, p. 202). The

school environment is changing, and children find it difficult to make connections with educators

and peers. Many students establish a persona that teachers do not care about them, therefore,

lessening the connection and close classroom community that fosters positive learning

experiences. Those students who do not have positive or supportive relationships can be at risk

for academic struggles. Students goals and interests play a key role in their motivation at

school. It is understood that if a student has a positive perceived social support from

friends/family/educators, then this will lead to increased motivation, thus aiding in positive

academic performance, while eliminating psychological distress (Wentzel, 1998, p. 203).

I have found that many students have increased social and emotional needs. This article

brings focus to this issue, and understanding how relationships both inside the classroom and

outside can affect a student and their academic performance. Many teachers may find that they

are struggling to find time to make meaningful connections with each student in their classroom.

In return, the students then feel that their teacher doesnt care and this affects the learning

environment. I believe that teacher and student relationships are important to establish in order

to foster a positive learning environment. I also think that the parents and teachers need to work

as a team and build strong relationships with the children in order to set goals and assist the

child in achieving those goals whether they are social or academic. It is clear that peers also

strongly affect the desire to be in school and perform well in school. I think the school as a

community needs to support students in fostering various positive relationships in order to

ensure all of their needs are being met inside and outside of the classroom. Students need to

feel a sense of belonging and feel safe to then allow them to learn and be engaged.
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(Wentzel, K. (1998). Social relationships and motivation in middle school: The role of parents,

teachers, and peers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(2), 202-209.

Classroom management is a key component for a successful classroom environment,

and encouraging a positive learning outcome. Classroom management is when a teacher takes

some form of action to create order, structure, engage the learners or encourage cooperation

(Emmer, E., & Stough, L., 2001, p. 103). The components of classroom management are as

follows: understanding the current research and theory in classroom management, students

psychological and learning needs. Also, positive teacher-student and peer relationships,

instructional methods that facilitate learning, organizational and group management and

counseling and behavior methods for those who have behavior problems (Emmer, E., & Stough,

L., 2001, p. 103-104). It is essential that the students are engaged in order for learning to occur,

therefore on task behavior is a targeted goal of managing a classroom (Emmer, E., & Stough,

L., 2001, p. 104). Each teachers management style should match their instructional goals and

the activities within the classroom while aligning with student needs. A classroom that is well run

will have strategies that are preventive instead of reactive and the teacher will have taught

desirable behavior to their students (Emmer, E., & Stough, L., 2001, p. 105). Starting at the

beginning of the year and continued throughout, it is beneficial to establish and teach the rules

and guidelines and model how to follow them. The classroom context and makeup can alter the

management style, and may vary from context to context (Emmer, E., & Stough, L., 2001, p.

108). The continual learning and adapting of management strategies will occur over many years

and is a continuous educational process (Emmer, E., & Stough, L., 2001, p. 109).

Classroom management is essential to finding a balanced classroom and creating an

environment that fosters learning. I have found that my student, requires structure and specific

expectations, in order to understand what the desired task is and how to participate in class. I

have found in my personal experiences that each classroom Ive worked in is different. The

students in different rooms and grade levels respond differently. I am constantly looking for
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different ways to incorporate behavioral and procedural techniques to make my classroom run

smoother and continue my educational knowledge in order to meet the needs of my students. I

am in complete agreement with having a preventive strategy rather than reactive, and preparing

your students by using modeling and communication to voice the goals and expectations for the

classroom.

References

Emmer, E., & Stough, L. (2001). Classroom management: A critical part of educational

psychology, with implications for teacher education. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 103-112.

Name: Matthew

Grade: 5

Age: 10

Introduction:

Matthew is ten years old and is in 5th grade at Mill Middle School. Mill Middle School, is located

in the Williamsville Central School District. The school includes grades 5-8. Many of the

classrooms are inclusive, with some additional classes offered for students who need smaller

more individualized instruction. The students have various classes and teachers throughout the

day, the school uses a bell schedule to switch classes. The student has math, ELA, science and

social studies along with his specials (art, gym, home and careers, technology), and band.

Throughout the day the student also has a study hall built into his schedule. The student has a

504 plan, which provides him with academic modifications throughout the day. He is the

youngest of 3 children, and his parents recently divorced and he has since moved to a new

house within the last 3 months.

Definition of Target behavior - The student leaves his area/seat during class.
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Operational Definition - The student leaves his assigned seat during instruction, and does not

respond to teacher directed prompts to return to his assigned area.

TEACHER/STAFF INTERVIEW:

1. When is the student successful during his/her school day?

a. The student is most successful during the school day when given the option to

work with peers or content is a preferred topic. Student also is most successful

when given smaller tasks to complete at a time and given a choice of where and

how to complete those tasks.

2. What is working?

a. We have found that the student responds well to being given choice of how to

complete his work and who to he can work with. He prefers to stand up and

complete his work at his desk rather than sitting. Student also has been

responding better to given tasks if they are broken down into smaller components

with less tasks to complete at one given time.

3. What areas of difficulty does the student have and during which activities do difficulties

occur?

a. Student has difficulties completing his work/homework. Most work is turned in

with incomplete information. The student prefers to not participate in class, and

prefers to wander throughout the room, talk to peers or sit on the counter tops,

go to the bathroom, etc. This behavior is typically seen during math and science

class. This also occurs when he is given an unfavorable task to complete or the

assignment is challenging.

4. Does the student currently receive any other support in the school?
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a. Yes, the student is placed in a smaller ELA class, it is a 15:1:1 classroom set up.

5. Why do you think the student is experiencing difficulty?

a. It is believed that the student does not want to participate or complete work

because he does not understand the content and would rather act as if he does

not care about the work than ask for help or be embarrassed in front of his peers.

The student has also been dealing with changes at home which may at times

impact his behavior and attitude at school. The students personal health may

also play a role in the situation, in that he does not feel comfortable sitting in

smaller seats

6. What would be a priority for you with this student at this point in school?

a. At this point in the school year I would like to see the student complete in school

assignments to his full ability level and ask for help when he does not understand

the content. Minimally, this would assist in raising the students grade since most

assignments are in class and a large portion of the grade comes from these

graded assignments. This would help to raise his average and hopefully pass

most classes.

STUDENT INTERVIEW:

1. What do you think of school?

a. Dislike, hate, does not want to come, believes it to be stupid

2. What do you like best? Least?

a. Gym, seeing friends

b. Homework, tests, classwork

3. What are the rules for the classroom?

a. Responded with I dont know

b. Prompted examples of rules (be on time, follow directions, be respectful)

BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 8

4. What do you think of these rules?

a. Responded with I dont know

b. Once prompted, asked if follows rules responded with sure

5. Do you get into trouble sometimes? Why do you think?

a. Yes does not know or understand why he gets in trouble

b. finds it amusing to get in trouble peer attention

6. Generally, is work too hard for you? Too easy?

a. Yes too hard

b. Boring, not interesting, same thing every day

7. What would make you like school better?

a. Talking to friends, sports, more choice/fun

8. Do adults notice when you do a good job?

a. Responded with I dont know

b. Mentioned one or two teachers who have acknowledged good behavior or

positive successes

Teacher Interview Analysis:

Matthews math/science teacher expressed her belief that he does not take interest in

academics and that there is a lack of support from his home life, when it comes to homework

and receiving good grades. When asked what is the best part of his day, she explained how he

performs best when working with his peers and given a choice of how to complete an

assignment. She noted that he loves to talk with his peers and this seems to play a large role in

his behavior of being off task or leaving his seat during an assignment. Rather than

participating, attempting to complete the work to his best effort or asking for help, Matthew

leaves his seat and wanders throughout the room. He also often asks to use the bathroom or

will sit wherever he likes in the classroom during the lesson. His teacher stressed that this

happens during his two most challenging classes, math and science, where he struggles most.
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 9

After discussing with his teacher why he does not participate or why these beviors occur, she

stated that he does not understand the content and would rather act as though he does not care

about the work and his grades, than ask for help or be embarrassed in front of his peers. She

also explained that there are some changes in his home life that impact his behavior and

attitude at school. His teacher stressed the importance of helping him to learn how to ask for

help, and to stay in his seat during class time. After much discussion it seems this would allow

him to pass his classes and learn to self-regulate his behaviors, if given prompts or scripts of

how he can ask a teacher to help him.

Student Interview Analysis:

After sitting down with the student and conducting observations, it was noted that the

student does not enjoy the academic side of school. He stressed his desire to only be there

because he is required to be there and to interact with his friends. It was also stated that he

hopes to play football and understands that he needs to be in school in order to do that. When

asked what he likes the best he stated he enjoys gym class and lunchtime when he can talk

with his friends. He strongly commented on the fact that he doesnt like school and would rather

be homeschooled. He stated that he does not care for school, and doesnt care if he is failing or

has to attend summer school. When asked if the student knew and understood the rules, he

state that he did not know the rules. When given a few examples of the classroom rules and

asked if he complies with these his response was sure. The student gave some mixed

emotions when being asked about situations in which he has gotten in trouble. At first, he

seemed proud of getting into trouble whether it was being written up, lunch detention or in

school suspension. When asked how he felt about these incidents he said I dont care. After

asking what some of his goals were and understanding that he enjoys football, and discussing

the rules to play sports in school (i.e. good grades, attendance, staying out of trouble), he

seemed to express a change in sentiment. Matthew expressed that he finds the work in school
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 10

boring and difficult. He did state that he felt school would be better if there was more time to talk

with peers and fun activities in each class. When approached about praise and being

acknowledged for good behavior he stated that some of his teachers do acknowledge his

positive behavior and success, while others simply seem to notice only his bad behaviors and

assume he does not care about school.

Definition of Target behavior - The student leaves his area/seat during class.

Operational Definition - The student leaves his assigned seat during instruction, and does not

respond to teacher directed prompts to return to his assigned area.

Baseline Data

Two methods were used to observe Matthews behavior and analyze when the behaviors occur.

An ABC analysis was conducted to look at each step, and determine what came before the

behavior, what the behavior was, and what the consequence was as a result. Behavior was also

analyzed using frequency data analysis, keeping tallies of how often he leaves his seat when

given a prompt or instructional task. This was done in order to see how often in a specific class

the unfavorable behavior occurs.

ABC:

Name: Matthew

Completed by: Lindsey Powell

DATE/TIME ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCES

CONDITIONS Describe what happened. State what happened Initials
Include locations, activity, after the behavior.
people, etc.
4//17 Students were The student The student was
given a direction to wandered asked by his teacher
9:15AM- review/study their throughout the to return to his seat
9:25AM notes at their seats room, and take out his notes
for about ten approaching his to study. This prompt LP
minutes before peers who were was given twice, to
study, interrupting which he did not
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 11

they take their and talking to comply and was given

math quiz. them about a lunch detention.
nonacademic
topics

4//17 Students were Student stood Student was asked to

given a direction to next to his desk, return to his seat and
take their seats walked around the take out assigned
9:05AM- and take out their room, signed out materials, and student LP
9:15AM notebooks and a to use the continuously
pencil. bathroom. responded with sure,
avoiding the task.
4//17 Students were Student did not Student was asked by
asked to complete participate with both his peers and
1:53PM- their science lab peers, he sat on teacher to participate
2:25PM within their lab the counter top and complete the lab, LP
groups at the back and was talking to while also removing
tables, discussing members of a himself from the
the lab materials group next to him. countertop, he did not
and documenting participate or complete
their responses in the desired task.
their lab
notebooks.
4//17 Students were Student chose a Student completed all
asked to complete preferred peer problems and was
9:45AM- the remaining and sat down in given praise by the
10:00AM problems, #5-8 in his seat to begin teacher for working so LP
their math working. nicely.
workbooks,
working with a peer
of their choice.

Analysis: It was noted that when given an instructional task that was challenging or

undesirable, Matthew would get up out of his seat and wander throughout the classroom,

refusing to complete the task. When redirected he would refuse or return to his seat for short

instances and then leave again to avoid the work. One instance, when given a task that allowed

him to work with a friend, he completed the task without leaving his seat at all.

Frequency:
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 12

Total
Date Class Length of Behavior # of number of
Setting Observation times times
4/ Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIII 4

4/ Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII IIIII 10

4/ Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII III 8

4/ Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII I 6

Each time Matthew was out of his seat after being given a prompt to begin work and return to his
seat, a tally was made. The tallies were counted at the end of each lesson. This data was collected
during math class, during a 45-minute period of time. The graph shows the total number of
occurrences of this behavior per day during the baseline data collection phase. Each phase
included four days of documentation and evaluation.

Behavior Analysis Baseline

10
10

8
8

6
Behavior
of Times

Occured
Number

Baseline
4
4

0
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Days
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 13

Analysis and Function: The function of the behavior is to avoid completing assigned tasks, that

are challenging/unfavorable. When something is challenging, Matthew would rather avoid it than

make an attempt or ask for help. This could be a factor of Matthews changing home life and

attitude towards school. He has learned to dislike school as it became more challenging and

has avoided making connections with his teachers and many of his peers. The lack of interest in

school and social relationships has impacted his academics.

Reflection: After analyzing the data from both observations, it was noted that Matthew avoided

completing work and following directions when given an independent task. Also, when the task

was not a favorable task he avoided following directions and participating, even if peers were

involved. Matthew enjoyed working with his peers when given the choice to choose his partners,

when the partners were chosen for him he did not participate. This is consistently seen

throughout his other classes.

Interventions

In order to address the behavior needs, the teachers will implement a teaching plan, across the

board that will assist Matthew in asking for help or asking to sit in a certain area while

completing his work. This will provide him with modeled and structured practice on how to ask

for help or assistance.

Total
Date Class Length of Behavior # of number of
Setting Observation times times
4/25 Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIII 4

4/26 Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII IIIII 10

4/27 Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII III 8

BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR RELUCTANT LEARNER 14

4/28 Math 45 minutes Out of seat IIIII I 6

Behavior Analysis

10
10

8
8

6
Behavior
of Times

Occured
Number

6 Baseline

4 Treatment
4
3

2 2
2
1

0
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Behavior