Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Styck, Kara M.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

Teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors influences the daily decisions that are made within the classroom setting. Specifically, teachers’ perceptions influence the decision-making process related to how teachers manage student problem behaviors and teachers’ responses to these behaviors. Research has found that teachers’ classroom management self-efficacy and student infraction history can impact teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors. Additionally, teachers’ perceptions of students and their behaviors can be influenced by implicit biases. However, there still exists a gap within the literature that does not fully explain why these teacher judgements occur. The current study examines whether teachers’ culturally responsive classroom management self-efficacy can serve as a buffer to reduce racial biases in teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors, and if the number of student behavior infractions exacerbates the negative effect of teachers’ racial biases on teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors. Results from the current study indicated that teachers generally felt less troubled at a higher number of infractions when compared to the initial student infraction. However, teachers who rated themselves as being highly efficacious in culturally responsive classroom management practices felt more troubled by student infractions, as well as recommended more severe discipline, at a higher number of infractions when compared to the initial infraction. Additionally, teachers recommended more severe discipline for White students when compared to Black students, and teachers recommended more severe discipline for students that were perceived as troublemakers regardless of the student’s race. Based on these results, schools should provide students and teachers with appropriate behavioral supports within the classroom setting, and schools should consider supporting teachers’ culturally responsive classroom management self-efficacy through direct observations and proactive feedback.

Extent

133 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Included in

Psychology Commons

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