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Understanding the teachers' perception of impeding bullying in the middle school classroom
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Understanding the teachers' perception of impeding bullying in the middle school classroom
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Content
Running head: IMPEDING BULLYING 1
UNDERSTANDING THE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF IMPEDING BULLYING IN THE
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM
By
Tyline M. Hood
A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2017
Copyright 2017 Tyline M. Hood
IMPEDING BULLYING 2
DEDICATION
For
Benjamin and Langston
This success journey was Mommy’s example for you maximizing your greatest potential.
I believe in both of you. There is no limit to what you will achieve and conquer. Always know
that with God all things are possible.
You both are my heart.
IMPEDING BULLYING 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The journey that was taken to complete this body of work had many moments that I will
always treasure and I thank God for all of them. This journey began with the vision of my late
father, who I miss so much. He shared with me his dream for me after I graduated with my
Masters of Arts in Educational Administration. His words were, “Now you can get your
doctorate.” I smiled and said, “Dad, I just graduated and that is not on the table right now,
remember, we are expecting your grandson in the next five months.” Never in a million years,
would I have thought that this would be the last graduation that he would see for me. A year and
half later he passed away. I want to thank my late father for encouraging me often to pursue this
journey. I believe that he is smiling. Only God, could provide the peace that I needed to move
forward and obtain his dream by receiving my doctorate.
I appreciate my parents who were invaluable throughout this milestone as they have been
always. My mother, who is a lifelong educator, granted me her listening ear which helped to get
me through many papers throughout my doctoral classes. To my other father, who has always
taught me that I can be anything I want to be. Thank you to my loving husband and my amazing
little boys, your understanding and support was my breath of fresh air daily. Additionally, I am
elated to have such an awesome big brother, who told me that quitting was not an option and I
believed him. He was right!
To the Inaugural Organizational Change and Leadership Cohort Class of 2017, I
appreciate each one of you, as we have walked this path together, encouraging words, texts,
email, and friendly check-ins kept me smiling in-spite of numerous life happenings whether it
was personal or professional. Moreover, thank you to the Rossier School of Education, together
everyone achieved their goals and the helpful staff was extremely supportive. Furthermore, I like
IMPEDING BULLYING 4
to extend a warm thank you to my sorority sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated,
your thoughtful support throughout the OCL program was certainly appreciated.
Finally, a special thanks to my dissertation chair, Dr. Julie Slayton, for the countless
times you spent clarifying and supporting my vision to achieve my goals, I appreciate you and
will always be grateful. To my committee, Dr. Alan Green and Dr. Monique Datta, your efforts
in my success journey were immensely encouraging and made a lasting impact on me.
IMPEDING BULLYING 5
Table of Contents
DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................3
LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................8
LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................9
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................11
Organizational Context and Mission .....................................................................................12
Organizational Performance Goal .........................................................................................13
Related Literature ..................................................................................................................14
Importance of the Study ........................................................................................................15
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals .........................................................................................18
Stakeholder Group for the Study ...........................................................................................19
Purpose of Project and Questions ..........................................................................................20
Methodological Framework ..................................................................................................21
Definition of Terms ...............................................................................................................21
Organization of the Study ......................................................................................................21
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................23
General Research of Factors that Influence Bullying in the Middle School Classroom ........23
Elements of Classroom Management of Bullying .............................................................24
Instructional Training and Development Programs ...........................................................25
Experiences of Teachers Addressing Bullying ..................................................................32
Teachers’ Knowledge and Motivation and District Organizational Factors ..........................34
Knowledge and Skills ........................................................................................................34
Motivation ..........................................................................................................................40
Organization .......................................................................................................................42
Culture................................................................................................................................43
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Teachers’ Knowledge and Motivation and the
School/District ........................................................................................................................45
Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................47
IMPEDING BULLYING 6
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................49
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................49
Participating Stakeholders ..........................................................................................................50
Interview Sampling Criterion and Rationale ..........................................................................50
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale ....................................................51
Data Collection and Instrumentation ..........................................................................................53
Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................53
Credibility and Trustworthiness .................................................................................................54
Ethics..........................................................................................................................................56
Limitations and Delimitations....................................................................................................57
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................58
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS .....................................................................................................59
Participating Stakeholders ..........................................................................................................60
Findings ......................................................................................................................................61
Finding 1: Teachers had a Range of Understanding about the Elements of a Positive
Classroom Climate that Impedes Bullying .................................................................................62
Theme 1: Positive classroom climates are “safe” and “comfortable” places for students .....62
Theme 2: While “care” is a core component of a positive classroom climate, care means
different things to different teachers .......................................................................................64
Theme 3: Clear behavioral expectations were a necessary component of positive classroom
climates ...................................................................................................................................69
Finding 2: While Teachers Articulated Similar Ideas About the Essential Components, they
also Provided Insight that Showed They Were Not Equal in Enacting a Positive Climate .......74
Theme 1: There were some components named by only those who cultivated a positive
climate ....................................................................................................................................74
Theme 2: Some teachers described their approaches in ways that suggested they cultivated
negative climates that promoted behavior that supports bullying ..........................................77
Finding 1: The Teachers Revealed that They had Various Experiences with Having or Lacking
Professional Development on Bullying ......................................................................................80
Theme 1: Three of the 10 teachers attributed their knowledge of bullying to professional
development that they had received at some point in their teaching experience ...................80
Theme 2: Seven of the 10 teachers shared that although they knew about bullying it was not
because of professional development .....................................................................................83
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................86
IMPEDING BULLYING 7
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH ...................88
Executive Summary of Findings Question 1 ..............................................................................88
Executive Summary of Findings Question 2 ..............................................................................89
Implications and Recommendations ..........................................................................................89
For Practice .............................................................................................................................89
For Policy ...............................................................................................................................95
Suggestions for Future Research ............................................................................................98
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................99
References .....................................................................................................................................101
Appendix A....................................................................................................................................108
Appendix B ....................................................................................................................................109
Appendix C ....................................................................................................................................112
IMPEDING BULLYING 8
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Stakeholders’ Performance Goal ............................................................................... 18
Table 2: Participating Stakeholders… ..................................................................................... 60
IMPEDING BULLYING 9
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Final Conceptual Framework .................................................................... 48
Figure 2. The Fundamental Logic of Training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016)...98
IMPEDING BULLYING 10
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper insight into the perceptions of middle
school teachers and how they impeded bullying in their classrooms. Meador (2016), posits that
the issue of bullying is one of the biggest educational issues that is dealt with today. Bullying has
captured the attention of the nation due to high suicide rates among adolescents (Meador, 2016).
This was a qualitative research study that examined the perceptions of educators and how they
impede bullying in the middle school classroom. Ten public middle school teachers who taught
sixth-eighth grade were interviewed and shared their perceptions on how they impede bullying in
their classrooms. The teachers’ perceptions were necessary because their awareness brings to
light their response to bullying. This study utilized the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis
framework while looking through the lens of knowledge and motivation. It was discovered that
creating a positive classroom climate is not all that it takes to impede bullying in the middle
school classroom, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Although, researchers suggest a
compilation of data analysis to acquiring the root of this phenomenon, the educators’ perceptions
were the initial step in the discovery of combating the bullying epidemic. Therefore, the
recommendation of future research would be to examine how race and gender play a role or not
with teachers’ perceptions of bullying in the middle school classroom.
IMPEDING BULLYING 11
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
The educational problem addressed in this study was bullying. For over a decade,
bullying has been an issue in schools. Moreover, Migliaccio (2015) posit that bullying is a social
problem that is a detriment to the education of students. The United States Department of
Education has recognized bullying as one of the main problems encountered by students
(Migliaccio, 2015). Furthermore, the National Center for Educational Statistics (2016) assert that
over 5 million students reported being bullied in 2015. Additionally, adolescents between the
ages of 12-18 reported being a victim of bullying in school. Out of these adolescents, the highest
percentage reported that they had been verbally slandered, which is one form of bullying (NCES,
2016). However, any form of bullying is impacting the students’ right to receive a quality
education in which their learning environment is safe and comfortable, engaging, and with high
expectations that motivate them to feel confident in having positive social interactions with their
peers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Therefore, the perceptions of teachers
impeding bullying in their classrooms are a necessary component in addressing the issue of
bullying because their beliefs reflect their behavior which is a contributing element for creating a
positive classroom climate (Migliaccio, 2015). Thus, bullying is important to address because its
harmful effects are pushing some youth to the point of suicide and violence of their own, both of
which have a traumatizing impact on them and others (Karen, 2007).
The bullying of adolescents is a national issue in many educational environments
(Shireen, Janapana, Rehmatullah, Temuri, & Azim, 2014). Shireen et al. (2014) assert that
bullying can take a range of forms including: social, verbal, or physical. These forms occur and
repeat over an extended amount of time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDCP, 2012) indicates that the social act of bullying encompasses social media aggression,
IMPEDING BULLYING 12
spreading rumors, gossip, threatening through text messaging, rumor spreading, embarrassment,
and distancing from the group. Calling names, intimidating, teasing, threatening, being cruel, and
/or slurs based on sexual preference or race are prime examples of verbal bullying (Shireen et al.,
2014). Pushing, hitting, kicking, spitting, damage of property, and/or theft are all examples of the
physical form of bullying. Bullying can be identified as a factoring cause of violence that is often
viewed by adolescents as the correct way to act toward others (Eaton et al., 2009). The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) assert that some adolescents who lack confidence,
fight or become perpetrators of bullying to demonstrate their strength (CDCP, 2012). Thus, the
National Center for Educational Statistics (2016) posit that there is not a school district that does
not have a challenge with bullying. Additionally, the American Society for the Positive Care of
Children (2016) asserts that school is the primary place that bullying happens. On average, in
more than 30 states, students reveal their fear for safety in their desire to not attend school
(American SPPC, 2016).
Thus, this study focused on the ways in which teachers understood the actions they
needed to take to create classroom conditions that aligned with those identified in the literature
as likely to impede bullying from taking place. The remainder of the chapter presents the context
in which the study was conducted, the purpose of the research, the importance of addressing the
problem, and the operational definitions used.
Organizational Context and Mission
The study was conducted at middle schools in one district located in the Upper
Midwestern portion of the United States. The district’s mission asserted that its schools would be
places where excellence in learning was a priority (BBB School District,
1
2016). The district,
1
BBB is a pseudonym for the selected school district.
IMPEDING BULLYING 13
like other school districts in the United States (American Society Positive Care of Children
(American SPPC), 2016), had taken steps to address bullying. The district’s mission aligned with
the expectation that all students would be equipped with 21
st
century skills to provide them with
a pathway to academic success. The district was situated in an environment that provided
learning opportunities to an excess of 35,000 students who were in grades K-12. The average
classroom size for middle school ranged from 35-45 students per class. However, the statistics on
bullying in this district were not available.
Organizational Performance Goal
The selected school district has an anti-bullying program with a student-centered anti-
bullying team that was in place throughout the district (BBB School District, 2016). BBB School
District (2016), asserted that the goal of this program was to prevent and decrease the prevalence
of bullying by placing an emphasis on a safe learning environment. Although, the district did not
provide any background on what occurred to make them invest in this program, the fact that they
implemented this program in every school suggests that there was a need to address the issue of
bullying. Moreover, the district utilized a prevention model that focused on promoting social
skill building, critical thinking, controlling one’s actions, and accepting differences of others
(BBB School District, 2016). Additionally, qualitative interviews were utilized in collecting the
data for the research study. The goal was to impede bullying which would provide a safe
environment for all students to learn.
Prior researchers have identified results of bullying behavior to have traumatic impacts
on adolescents who show disparities in their overall psychological, emotional, and physical well-
being (Magliano, 2013). Kueny and Zirkel (2012) argue that educators who teach at the middle
school levels are advised to be knowledgeable of the anti-bullying procedures for them to be
IMPEDING BULLYING 14
more effective and ethical in the classroom setting. These procedures can vary based on the anti-
bullying programs that aide in the prevention of bullying in schools. In addition, teachers’
perceptions have an impact on their behavior (Kueny & Zirkel, 2012). Therefore, the goal of the
study was to gain an understanding of the knowledge and motivation of educators who teach
middle school and their perceptions on how create learning environments that reduce the
likelihood of bullying.
Related Literature
Across the United States, schools frequently confront the issue of bullying (Tyson, 2016).
Bullying in schools has progressively become a more serious issue. Wang et al. (2011) state that
bullying takes a wide range of forms. They include violent acts, verbal destruction, negative
social behavior and negative technology communication. These forms of bullying also include
peer antagonism and social alienation, which occur frequently (Smith & Brain, 2000). Bullying
has significant negative effects on those who are bullied. These effects include harm to social,
emotional, psychological, and physical wellness (Brain, 1997; Due et al., 2005; Hawker &
Boulton, 2000; Long & Alexander, 2010; Nansel, Craig, Overpeck, Saluja, & Ruan, 2004;
Nishina, Juvonen, & Witkow, 2005; Olweus, 1993; Rothon, Head, Klineberg, & Stansfeld, 2011;
Schwartz, Gorman, Nakamoto, & Toblin, 2005). The harmful effects of bullying also impact
adolescents’ academic success (Card & Hodges, 2008; Juvonen, Wang, & Espinoza, 2011).
The epidemic of bullying is clear and present in many school organizations and everyone
is searching for a way to combat the issue. Meador (2016) asserts that the issue of bullying is one
of the biggest educational issues that is dealt with today. Bullying has captured the attention of
the nation due to high suicide rates among adolescents. Perlus, Brooks-Russell, Wang, and
Iannotti (2014) affirm that various reviews on bullying prevention have been examined and have
IMPEDING BULLYING 15
led to programs in schools that are evidence based to prevent this problem from occurring. Tyson
(2016) posits that although evidence based programs are centered on the prevention of bullying
there are slim highlights focused on the processes that made the programs successful. Harris and
Hathorn (2006) assert that with increases in school shootings, student aggression, and suicide
ideation, increased efforts have been dedicated to finding solutions, that stem from being bullied.
Having a thorough understanding of what causes the violent acts of bullying is considered the
first step to addressing the problem (Levin & Madfis, 2009). Bullying is a repeated action and
doesn’t just happen one time and therefore a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to
determine the consequential outcome for the perpetrator. Harris and Hawthorn (2006) assert that
teachers are not knowledgeable of the factors that form aggressive behaviors. This lack of
knowledge inhibits the teachers from creating a positive classroom climate that addresses this
challenge. The learning environment is not only a central place for students to achieve academic
success, but it is also a vital place for social development (Card & Hodges, 2008; Juvonen et al.,
2011). Therefore, teachers need to create a positive classroom climate, where making the right
social choices are evident which is a step to impede bullying. Moreover, the concept of going to
school has changed from learning the core subjects to having to acquire skills that involve
students working together (Harris & Hathorn, 2006). Therefore, it is imperative for all
stakeholders in the schools to recognize that student aggression has occurred and is occurring
while being proactive in discovering ways to tame the problem (Harris & Hathorn, 2006; Levin
& Madfis, 2009).
Importance of the Study
The problem of bullying is important to address for a variety of reasons. While modern
schools have always been considered safe places, this sense of security was dispelled by the late
IMPEDING BULLYING 16
1990s when a series of rampage shootings occurred in the United States (Madfis, 2014;
Muschert, 2007). Most of these rampage shootings involved youth as perpetrators and children,
adolescents, and educators as victims (Madfis, 2014; Muschert, 2007). As a response to these
incidences, bullying was explored in relation to why these shootings had occurred. Levin and
Madfis (2009) assert that many of the shooters prior to these shootings had been alienated by
their peers, which qualified them as victims of bullying. The Anti Bullying Institute (2017) posits
that bullying and harassment were linked to 75 percent of school shootings. There is sufficient
support that confirms the negative effects of bullying, which include social, emotional,
psychological, and physical wellness (Brain, 1997; Hawker & Boulton, 2000; Long &
Alexander, 2010; Nansel et al., 2004; Nishina, Juvonen, & Witkow, 2005; Olweus, 1993; Rothon
et al.,2011; Schwartz et al.,2005). The psychological effects of bullying are brutal and can lead
to suicide (Karen, 2007). For example, the recurrent sufferers of bullying have been found to be
five times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and four times more likely to commit suicide
than adolescents who had not been sufferers. O’Moore (2000) and Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy,
Borum, and Modzeleski (2002), assert that sufferers of bullying have a greater probability of
committing suicide and homicide as exhibited by the increasing number of adolescent victims in
several countries. This problem is important to address because the harmful effects of bullying
are pushing the youth to the point of suicide and violence, both of which have a traumatizing
impact on them and others.
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
The organizational stakeholders are essential to ensuring the mission of the school
district. The stakeholders will directly impact the achievement of the district’s mission. In this
district the stakeholders include teachers, students, and administration. These stakeholders have a
IMPEDING BULLYING 17
direct impact on taking steps toward decreasing bullying, which promotes a safe environment for
students to achieve academic excellence.
Teachers were the stakeholders in my dissertation. They were a direct connection to the
students and they explained the goal being reached. The teacher goals included learning the skills
and knowledge that were necessary for the prevention of bullying within the classroom. They
articulated how to recognize bullying when it happens, respond to bullying when it occurs, and
provided the steps they take to create healthy classroom environments that increase students’
productive and positive behaviors while reducing students’ negative, destructive, and or
disruptive behaviors. The study captured teachers’ perceptions on creating positive classroom
climates while highlighting how their knowledge and motivation aided them in accomplishing
this goal.
Students were stakeholders in reaching the district’s goal because they had the choice in
making good decisions that would aide in the prevention of bullying. All students should be
actively engaged in authentic learning experiences that inspire them to make social choices that
disable bullying within their school community while promoting the goal of excelling in high
school and are prepared to demonstrate productivity in a global economy (BBB, 2016).
Although, students played a role in the prevention of bullying, the research was focused on
understanding teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge and motivation of creating a positive
classroom climate for the students that negates bullying.
Administrators were stakeholders in obtaining the goal of decreasing bullying because
they were instrumental in handling school discipline and rewards which aided students in making
better choices. Administrators were a part of changing the cultural climate concerning bullying
prevention programs, which were essential in reaching the organizational goal. Although,
IMPEDING BULLYING 18
administrators played a pertinent role in obtaining the goal of the prevention of bullying, the
research focused on teachers’ perceptions regarding the creation of positive classroom climates.
Table 1
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The District will facilitate a nurturing environment that educates and provides all students a
quality education where they will be able to problem solve, creatively think and graduate with
career readiness.
Organizational Performance Goal
By May 2017, the district will provide learning environments that will impede bullying.
Stakeholder 1
Students
Stakeholder 2
Administrators
Stakeholder 3
Teachers
Stakeholder 1
Proficiencies/Competencies
All students should be
actively engaged in authentic
learning experiences that
inspire them to make social
choices that disable bullying
within their school
community and promote the
goal of excelling in high
school and are prepared to
demonstrate productivity in a
global economy.
Stakeholder 2
Proficiencies/Competencies
Administrators are
stakeholders in obtaining the
goal of decreasing bullying
because they will be
instrumental in handling the
discipline or school rewards
for making better choices.
Stakeholder 3
Proficiencies/Competencies
The teacher goals will
include learning the skills
and knowledge they need to
negate bullying. They will
demonstrate how to
recognize bullying when it is
happening, respond to
bullying when it is
happening, and create
healthy classroom
environments that increase
students’ productive and
positive behaviors and reduce
students’ negative and
destructive or disruptive
behaviors.
IMPEDING BULLYING 19
Stakeholder Group for the Study
A complete study would encompass all three stakeholder groups, however one was
chosen for the purpose of this study. Teachers were the stakeholder group selected and focused
on throughout this investigation. Educators were selected as the stakeholder group because they
were in the best position to create environments that support student learning and impede
bullying. The students spent most of their time in a school setting with their teachers. Therefore,
I was interested in acquiring a deeper understanding of the teachers’ knowledge and motivation
of creating positive classroom climates that impeded bullying as well as examining how the
teachers’ knowledge and motivation interacted with the school/district culture and context to
shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that impede bullying. The
stakeholder goal was derived from the school district’s ability to recognize that an anti-bullying
prevention program was a necessary component to establishing and ensuring the safety of their
learning environments. The teachers needed to achieve this goal because impeding bullying
would align with the mission of the BBD school district, which was to provide a safe learning
environment for all students. Seeking out this goal made an overall statement that bullying was
not acceptable or tolerated.
The Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the research investigation was to conduct a gap analysis to gain an in
depth understanding of teachers’ knowledge and motivation in relation to creating positive
climates that impede bullying in the middle school classroom. The teachers’ belief system
determined the way they treated their students and therefore it was a beginning step by
examining their perceptions on addressing the issue of bullying. Moreover, Yoon, Sulkowski,
and Bauman (2014) posit that when examining approaches to address bullying teachers are
IMPEDING BULLYING 20
missed. Examining the teachers’ perceptions of impeding bullying by creating positive classroom
climates is necessary in addressing the epidemic of bullying (Yoon et al., 2014). The study
examined the knowledge, motivation and organizational elements that aided teachers in creating
a positive classroom climate to impede bullying. The analysis began by generating a list of
possible or assumed interfering elements and then was examined systematically to focus on
actual or validated interfering elements. While a complete gap analysis would focus on all
stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholders focused on in this analysis was the middle
school educators who taught sixth through eighth grade.
The study was guided by the following research questions:
1. What is the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying?
2. How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district culture
and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that
impede bullying?
Methodological Framework
Qualitative interviews were utilized to gain a deep understanding of the teachers’
knowledge and motivation of producing a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. I
also strived to understand the interaction between the school/district culture and context in
shaping their willingness to create positive classroom climate that impede bullying. The data
collection methods were used to help clarify organizational goals and identify the gap between
the actual performance level and the preferred performance level within the sample middle
school. Personal knowledge and related literature was the basis in creating assumed intrusive
elements, which are those things that cause the problem of practice. Interviews, literature review,
IMPEDING BULLYING 21
and content analysis were used to validate these elements. Research-based solutions were
considered and explored in a comprehensive manner.
Definitions
To attribute to the qualitative research, the following definitions were utilized:
Perpetrator: A person who uses their power to cause distress either physical or
psychological repeatedly on the victim (Shireen et al., 2014).
Bullying: Bullying is referenced as a repeated act of showing aggression or harm toward
another student and usually involves some type of difference in power between the bully and
victim (Shireen et al., 2014).
Victim: The person who experiences repeated bullying episodes (Shireen et al., 2014).
Classroom Climate: The environment of a classroom which includes the social and
emotional culture of the students (CDCP, 2012).
Organization of the Study
Chapter One provided an introduction of the problem of practice which encompassed the
organizational context and mission, an organizational performance goal, the importance of the
evaluation, the stakeholders and stakeholders’ performance goals, the selected stakeholder group
for the study, a purpose of the project and questions, the methodological framework, definitions
within the study, and the organization of the study. Chapter Two is a compilation of literature
that emphasizes pertinent areas of bullying which included the factors of bullying, victims of
bullying, teachers address bullying, and instructional training programs to address the problem of
bullying in the middle school classroom. Chapter Three highlights the methodology which
included an informative approach to answer the research questions, data collection and
instrumentation, and data analysis. Chapter Four reports the findings of the qualitative study.
IMPEDING BULLYING 22
Finally, Chapter Five is a collection of recommendations after examining the findings in the
previous chapter.
IMPEDING BULLYING 23
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This qualitative study examined middle school teachers’ in one district in the Upper
Midwest region of the United States perceptions of creating a positive classroom environment
with an eye towards impeded conditions that support bullying. The research is significant to
address because bullying has commanded national attention in school districts all around the
country (Meador, 2016). Many studies suggest that the beliefs and attitudes of teachers are a
necessary component to addressing this epidemic (Bauman, Sulkowski, & Yoon, 2014). The
perspectives and beliefs of educators can impact their behavior toward students and is a step in
addressing bullying (Lee, Garandeau, & Salmivalli, 2014). Although bullying is nationally
recognized as a problem, minimal research has been completed on the teachers’ perceptions
which is an important element in prevention (Migliaccio, 2015). The literature highlighted in this
section was essential to answering the following questions:
1. What is the teachers' knowledge and motivation related to producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying?
2. How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district culture
and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that
impede bullying?
First, I present literature that addresses what we already know about the issue of bullying.
Then I turn to the learning and motivation literature that provided insight into knowledge and
motivational elements that aided the investigation to discover a deeper understanding of the
problem. The conclusion of the chapter presents the final conceptual framework to the research
study. The final framework served as the foundation for the research design, data collection, and
analysis.
IMPEDING BULLYING 24
General Research of Factors that Influence Bullying in the Middle School Classroom
The relevant literature describes the factors that influence bullying in the middle school
classroom. It highlights the role of victims, teachers, and development programs have played in
addressing this issue. The main topics are the elements of classroom management, instructional
training and development, and the teachers’ experience in addressing bullying. This literature
was essential to the study and provided support to the investigation of the problem of practice.
Elements of Classroom Management of Bullying
A positive school climate is improved by having a safe and nurturing learning environment.
Leff et al. (2011) posit that the teachers’ practices and the response of their students, aide them in
creating positive school climates which are important in determining children’s psychological
functioning and a prominent component that affects bullying. Rigby (2002) suggests that this
type of climate can be defined as supportive, engaging, and student centered in which
adolescents have the opportunity to experience positive relationships with their peers within the
classroom setting. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) (2012) asserts
creating a clean and enjoyable classroom climate promotes high expectations (e.g., being
respectful, honest, and caring) for a safe and positive environment where relationships can foster.
Bibou-Nakou et al. (2009) explain that the classroom climate plays an important role in whether
bullying occurs. According to Cross (2010) the quality of the learning atmosphere, student
engagement, and teacher retention all play a role in the positive experiences of students. Carmel
(2007) states that engaging classrooms with caring atmospheres and a focus on high expectations
in which clear and concise guidelines are followed, will enable students to be productive in order
to negate bullying. Bibou-Nakou et al. (2009) also suggest that the relationship teachers and
students develop and the students’ feelings of academic completion play a role in disengaging
IMPEDING BULLYING 25
bullying in the classroom. Rigby (2002) suggest that the victims of bullying may have a negative
attitude in the classroom setting where the perpetrator may also be. Having the ability to
recognize the difference in behavior with students will help teachers and staff identify the
victims within the classroom environment (Rigby, 2002). Lee, Garandeau, and Salmivalli (2014)
assert that if power is not balanced amongst students within a classroom environment, bullying
happens. Bullying occurs easily in a classroom with an imbalance of power which is usually
presented in the form of titles for example, the most popular students versus the least popular
(Lee et al., 2014). According to Lee et al. (2014), finding a balance amongst the students within
the classroom can lead to a decrease in bullying. The status of how students are perceived
amongst their peers play a significant role to disengaging bullying within the classroom setting
(Lee et al., 2014). School climates are influenced by factors within a classroom setting such as
discipline, student participation, and classroom management (CDCP, 2012).
Instructional Training and Development Programs
Konishi, Hymel, Zumbo, and Li (2010) argue that teachers are rarely aware of bullying
within their classroom environments. Peck (2012) posits that when students are upset about
being bullied they have a difficult time concentrating on learning. There are three approaches
that may prove as beneficial in an effort, to disable bullying. The first possible approach to
putting a stop to bullying is an anti-bullying program known as the Olweus Bullying Prevention
Program (OBPP). The program is focused on the reduction and prevention of bullying in k-12
education. Instead of being a curriculum, it is a program that addresses the whole school
community in sharing steps that need to be taken in order to impede bullying. Schoolwide,
classroom, individual, and community are the four levels in which the program will target in
order to make an impact on the school culture. At the schoolwide level, professional
IMPEDING BULLYING 26
development begins with providing the teachers with the essentials for dealing with bullying. A
committee is formed to ensure that the program is being implemented correctly. At this level,
students are required to complete a questionnaire that is intended to provide the committee with
the type of bullying occurring and its frequency. Four anti-bullying rules are put in place for the
students to follow which include 1) We do not bully others, 2) We will try to help students who
are bullied, 3) We will try to include students who are left out, 4) If we know that somebody is
being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home. The school staff is made
aware of the areas highlighted in the questionnaire and in other places where bullying might
occur. They are asked to monitor these areas by keeping a close watch on them at all times. At
the schoolwide level, also parent meetings and events may be a part of the program but is not
required. The next level of the program is in the classroom. This is where the rules are always
visible for the students to read and become familiar with. The classroom teacher is responsible
for holding class meetings in which students are encouraged to talk about what bullying is. The
students are taught why bullying should not occur and to tell an adult if bullying happens to them
or someone else. Positive incentives and consequences are put in place to ensure compliance
with the anti-bullying rules for the program. At this level, teachers work to create a positive
classroom climate in which students feel safe, show respect for all students, and are engaged on
learning. The individual level includes those that have been bullied or doing the bullying. At this
level, teachers receive training in dealing with students who have experienced bullying. Students
that are perpetrators of bullying receive immediate consequences for their actions. The students
who are victims of bullying receive immediate support from staff and are told that consequences
will be given to their perpetrator. In addition, at this level, the teachers or staff are in place to
hold conferences with the parents in an effort to prevent bullying. The fourth level of this
IMPEDING BULLYING 27
program is known as the community in which the school explore opportunities to develop
partnerships within the communal area in order to spread the anti-bullying message throughout
the demographic region. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a researched based anti-
bullying alternative. The program has received international recognition for the implementation
of positive behavior response skills in order to prevent bullying (Olweus & Limber, 2010).
According to Olweus and Limber (2010) there was a decrease in bullying two years after the
program was implemented. Therefore, when the essential behavior skills are taught in a program
it can prevent bullying from occurring (Olweus & Limber, 2010).
The second alternative approach to bullying is an educational based video program called
Stand Tall. The program provides an opportunity for educators to rethink the possibilities of
motivating their students by providing ways to respond to negative and hurtful behavior (Peck,
2012). Konishi, Hymel, Zumbo, and Li (2010) assert that the teachers’ awareness of bullying
happening within in their classroom is uncommon. Peck (2012) when students are upset about
being bullied they have a difficult time concentrating on learning. Stand Tall is an anti-bullying
program geared toward middle school and it embraces three key concepts of individual respect
when it comes to being different, class discussions, and provides action steps in order to change
the students’ behavior. Teaching respect for individual differences, having classroom
discussions, and practicing actions that transform the behavior of all students are the core
competencies of the Stand Tall Program. This program includes training for the teachers, which
is an essential component of bullying prevention in the classroom setting. One of the modules in
the program include experts such as legal representatives and counselors who are involved in
sharing guidance for the teachers to aide them in addressing bullying situations. Advice on
preventing harassment, clarifying the relevancy of laws, and educational guidance from the
IMPEDING BULLYING 28
Department of Education are also provided throughout the Stand Tall program. These are
provisional resources for teachers to educate them on the identification of bullying and how to
take measures of impeding it within the learning environment. The program provides teacher
manuals, downloadable posters, class activities, and there is available access to videos online to
further engage students in learning. Peck (2012) asserts that educators have been powerfully
impacted as a result of the Stand Tall program and it aides them in setting a positive learning
environment in which students feel safe and respected.
A third alternative to bullying is a researched-based program called Second Step. Second
Step is a program that promotes students to soar socially and academically while having a whole
unit on preventing bullying as a part of its foundation (“Second Step,” 2016). According to
Schoen and Schoen (2010) the Second Step program made gains in students becoming more
socially competent and made a decrease in anti-social behavior. Second Step is favored by
teachers because they are able to utilize and apply the fundamentals of the program right into
their curriculum. The teachers are motivated to implement the program because it already aligns
with the essentials for creating a positive classroom climate. In this program training is online in
which all of the school staff learn how to better assist students with bullying experiences which
include victims and perpetrators of this epidemic in order to reduce its occurrence. All faculty
and staff learn response and identification strategies in an effort to impede bullying within a
classroom setting (“Second Step,” 2016). This type of training is available online which can be
individually experienced or with a whole group experience as a professional development. The
Second Step program also includes story books in which a popular children’s author did the co-
writing and videos with animating and live-acting characters in order to convey a message to
students that they can play a role in recognizing, reporting, and refusing bullying. Families
IMPEDING BULLYING 29
receive materials for reinforcement at home which teaches everyone the difference between
conflicts between peers and bullying. Principals are provided with resources to aid them in
developing and implementing policies and procedures in preventing bullying throughout the
school. The training of the staff in this program creates a culture of language and response to
bullying that is common amongst the school community. Students are taught authentic skills
throughout this program that prepare them for addressing bullying situations. According to
Schoen and Schoen (2010) the impact of the Second Step program highlighted that aggression
amongst the students had decreased and positive social behavior remained consistent throughout
the school year. In addition, students exhibited tremendous social growth through empathetic
response, managing anger, controlling impulse, and responding to bullying (Schoen & Schoen,
2010).
Meador (2016) states that combating bullying is very necessary and begins with a solid
bullying prevention program as well as a strong school bullying policy. Having a solid and
effective bullying policy is going to play a significant role in the prevention of bullying (Meador,
2016). There are three main factors that can possibly make a school bullying policy strong which
include 1) having a clear definition of bullying in which detailing types and what happens in
each type, 2) should have a clear and detailed description of how students should respond in all
bullying occurrences, and 3) details must be clear on how students should proceed when they see
another student getting bullied. Meador (2016) asserts that the school bullying policy should not
only include the previous three components, but should also be written in age appropriate
language in which all students would be able to understand and adhere to. In addition, it is
equally important to make sure that every school tailors the bullying policy to align with their
unique needs (Meador, 2016). In an effort, to prevent bullying from occurring there also needs to
IMPEDING BULLYING 30
be severe consequences for these actions. Every bullying case must be carefully reviewed in
which all contributing factors need to be considered and examined. Bullying is a repeated action
and doesn’t just happen one time and therefore a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to
determine the consequential outcome for the perpetrator. Meador (2016) posits that the benefit
will prove greater if the consequence is too severe than not severe enough. Confronting and
changing the bullying behavior when it happens the first time will prevent a lot of turmoil later.
Another step that can be taken to prevent bullying is to provide adolescents with the knowledge
of bullying and the essential skills needed to confront it. Anti-bullying programs must be at the
forefront of all schools. As shared in previous paragraphs each program has its own educational
resources and skills that have been proven to be effective for one reason or another. It is
imperative to select an anti-bullying program that will create a shift change in the culture of the
classroom environment. Meador (2016) posits that there are many adolescents that do not know
what a bully is. All schools must create authentic learning experiences that will provide an
education on bullying and all its facets in order to prevent occurrences.
In an effort in taking steps toward prevention, teachers need to be adequately prepared
and equipped for dealing with all bullying situations. According to Meador (2016) the lack of
proper training for teachers and staff will delay any anti-bullying program from proving to be
effective. The following components are going to be essential in the professional development
for all teachers and staff, they include 1) ensuring that proactivity is a must in handling any
bullying situation, 2) all faculty and staff need to have knowledge of how to identify bullying
taking place, 3) teachers and staff need know the signs of a victim and how to best assist them in
getting the help that they need, 4) teachers and staff should have knowledge of what to look for
in determining the perpetrators of bullying and know how to shape their behavior before they do
IMPEDING BULLYING 31
harm, and 5) make sure that all of teachers and staff have exact knowledge of how to deal with a
bullying situation once it has happened. After training the teachers and staff it is imperative to
develop an anti-bullying culture within the school. According to Meador (2016) everywhere
within the schools should have visual representation of an anti-bullying movement. This
movement should showcase the school bullying policy, the adopted anti-bullying program, keys
to stopping bullying, materials readily available to everyone that needs more guidance on what
bullying is or its impact, and every school community member should sign an anti-bullying
agreement at the start of each school year. This signed contract has to align with the school
bullying policy that is in place, however it needs to be simple and easy to understand. According
to Meador (2016) in addition to signing a simple contract, new students should become
acclimated to the anti-bullying program during their first few weeks of school. The anti-bullying
program should be ongoing throughout the school year in order to maintain momentum and
consistency of the effort of prevention.
Many of the solid alternative approaches to bullying have commonalities. Although, this
is true, the solution has yet to be discovered because as of today, this epidemic is clear and
present in many K-12 school organizations and everyone is searching for a way to combat the
issue. According to Meador (2016) the issue of bullying is one of the biggest educational issues
that is dealt with today. Bullying has captured the attention of the nation due high suicide rates
among adolescents. According to Perlus, Brooks-Russell, Wang, and Iannotti (2014), various
reviews on bullying prevention have been examined and have led to programs in schools that are
evidence based in an effort to prevent this problem from occurring. Researchers have suggested
that research based bullying prevention programs are effective in reducing violence when they
IMPEDING BULLYING 32
include social skills development, managing behavior skills, and training for teachers as well as
parents (Perlus et al., 2014).
According to Perlus et al. (2014) various reviews on bullying prevention have been
examined and have led to programs in schools that are evidence based in an effort to prevent this
problem from occurring. Researchers have suggested that these research-based bullying
prevention programs are effective in reducing violence when they include social skills
development, managing behavior skills, and training for parents (Perlus et al., 2014). Focusing
on building social skills is an effective approach to bullying prevention (Schoen & Schoen,
2010). According to Schoen and Schoen (2010) within 1 year, increasing social confidence in
students coincided with a decrease in antisocial behavior.
Experiences of Teachers Addressing Bullying
As a response to the prevention of bullying the focus is on providing schools with
effective instructional strategies in the classroom that will target resolutions that impede bullying
(Ferrans et al., 2012). Bullying is the act of causing repetitive and intentional harm on a person in
the form of physical, psychological, relational, and cyber (Wang et. al, 2011). According to
Wang et al. (2011) these forms of bullying deal with violent acts, verbal destruction, social
behavior and negative technology communication. Mishna (2009) argues that it was once
identified as a school issue, however through the progressive state of technology bullying has
grown into cyber bullying which encompasses a non-stop operational platform of all forms of
internet and mobile phone communication that has the capability to send hurtful and demeaning
messages in seconds to attack adolescents. This form of bullying has transformed educational
environments because of the powerful impact that technology has on adolescents (Mishna,
2009). According to Wang et al. (2011) the impact of bullying on adolescents has been
IMPEDING BULLYING 33
consistent in being associated with depression. Depression is a psychological result of bullying
victims (Wang et al., 2011). However, with different forms of bullying research is uncertain of
its association to depression in those capacities. Long and Alexander (2010) assert that in order
for school leaders to take a stand against bullying, all stakeholders must come together for the
cause. Teachers play a major role in addressing bullying because they are in charge of setting the
climate and culture of their classrooms. According to Harris and Hathorn (2006) and Levin and
Madifis (2009), it becomes more of a challenge to set consequences when teachers respond to
bullying as general behavior and disregard ongoing peer aggression. Stout (2006) asserts that
even in an all gender male classroom the verbal slurs such as “faggot or pussy,” are perceived as
jokes by a teacher because of the circumstances of girls not being present. The learning
environment is not only a central place for students to achieve academic success, but it is also a
vital place for social development guided by teachers. It is imperative that the school community
leaders take a proactive approach with the system by setting an example of the change that they
desire to see (Harris & Hathorn, 2006; Levin & Madfis, 2009).
In the next section of this chapter I turn my attention to the learning and motivation
literature. I do this because I used a gap analysis approach to conduct this study. The gap
analysis is a systematic approach to evaluation which utilized knowledge, motivation, and
organizational dimensions as a basis for analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008). It can be adapted for
asset, innovation, and needs analysis. The gap analysis was used as a lens to examine the middle
school teachers’ knowledge and motivation of impeding bullying in the middle school
classroom. Personal knowledge and related literature will be the basis in creating assumed
intrusive elements. Interviews, literature review and content analysis will be used to validate
these elements. The gap must be assessed between actual performance of an organization and its
IMPEDING BULLYING 34
desired performance goal in order to meet that goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Therefore, research-
based solutions will be considered and explored in a comprehensive conceptual framework
manner.
Teachers’ Knowledge and Motivation and District Organizational Factors
This section will highlight literature in relation to the knowledge and skills influences of
educators who impede bullying in the middle classroom. Additionally, the next section will
highlight the motivation literature in relation to teachers’ self-efficacy and expectancy value to
impeding bullying in the middle school classroom. Moreover, the organizational influences will
be presented in relation to supporting teachers to impede bullying. Finally, all three of the
identified factors are accompanied by tables that reflect their assumed influences.
Knowledge and Skills
General theory. Literature that was centered on the knowledge-related influences that
were essential to accomplishing the goal of producing positive classroom climates that impede
bullying. The literature was analyzed in terms of the type of knowledge that was described.
Knowledge types. There are four types of knowledge. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)
discuss the four major types of knowledge: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive.
Factual knowledge refers to the knowledge of facts, details, and elements. Conceptual
knowledge refers to knowledge of principles, theories, and models. Procedural knowledge refers
to familiarity with procedures, techniques, and methods. Metacognitive knowledge emphasizes
knowledge of cognition and awareness of one’s own thoughts and actions. Information is a type
of knowledge enhancement used to provide one with the strategies for having a successful work
experience which is an exhibition of factual knowledge (Clark & Estes, 2008). According to
Clark and Estes (2008) performance goals can be achieved by acquiring job aids which are
IMPEDING BULLYING 35
enhanced levels of information that one utilizes to become self-sufficient in an organization and
is a form of conceptual knowledge. Training is a type of procedural knowledge that equips one
with the information of how a job needs to be done (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes
(2008) asserts that when one acquires conceptual or strategic information that will aide in solving
a future dilemma this acquisition is known as education and reflects metacognitive knowledge.
The role of the teacher. This section highlights literature that reflects the conceptual,
procedural, and metacognitive knowledge that teachers must possess to impede bullying.
Declarative knowledge influences. Teachers from all over are not knowledgeable of the
factors that form an environment of aggressive behaviors (Harris & Hathorn, 2006; Levin &
Madfis, 2009). They need to be equipped with the essential knowledge that will aide them in
order to respond to anti-social behavior. Teachers need to acquire training in order to improve
their knowledge of preventing bullying in the classroom setting. According to Clark and Estes
(2008) the gaining of knowledge on how to implement a skill to achieve a specific goal is called
training. In addition to acquiring training, the teachers will need job aids in which will provide
them with information that will help them to reach the optimum level of impeding bullying
within the classroom environment. According to Clark and Estes (2008) job aids are very
practical to use when people are learning a new approach. The teachers will utilize education to
gain the skills and knowledge they need in order to decrease bullying. According to Clark and
Estes (2008) the learning of concepts, theories, and strategies of knowledge and skills are
identified as education. They need to demonstrate how to recognize bullying when it is
happening, respond to bullying when it is happening, and create healthy classroom environments
that increase students’ productive and positive behaviors while reducing students’ negative and
destructive or disruptive behaviors.
IMPEDING BULLYING 36
Teachers need to understand that bullying is a shared challenge among adolescents
(Frisén, Jonsson, & Persson, 2007). Schoen and Schoen (2010) states that there are common
elements in various definitions of the act of bullying such as having intensions to hurt, ongoing,
unfair advantage, and attempting to gain power which is imperative for educators to know in
setting the climate in the classrooms. Teachers need to know that bullying is intended to hurt,
mistreat, or belittle a person constantly (Schoen & Schoen, 2010). Clark and Estes (2008) shares
that having the job aid or right information to maximize the approach to the goal is a recipe for
accomplishing the goal on their own. Schoen and Schoen (2010) asserts that bullying is
identified as a violent act that happens over and over again. Teachers need to understand this
repeated aggression concept because it will help them in conveying the message to all students of
what bullying looks like. Educators need to emphasize that everyone has differences and teach
them to celebrate those differences. According to Schoen and Schoen (2010) when perpetrators
of bullying recognize that there are differences amongst their peers they tend to bully at the onset
of discovery.
Teachers are not knowledgeable of factors that may increase bullying in a classroom.
Bullying has increased to the point of commanding attention throughout the nation. Schoen and
Schoen (2010) emphasize that the consistent issue of bullying in the schools is particularly
relevant to students with disabilities. Teachers need to gain the necessary training and education
for creating a classroom environment that embraces disabilities which is imperative to address
because of inclusion or a concept of including students with disabilities in a general educational
classroom setting. Mishna (2003) argues that literature reviews highlight that bullying happens to
a variety of disability types. Educators need to know how to address these various types of
disabilities in the classroom in order to foster a healthy learning environment. Rigby (2002)
IMPEDING BULLYING 37
asserts that adolescents with disabilities often appear to bullies as weak and not in a position to
defend, which allows them to think that they are an easy target and more at risk than other
students. Dawkin (1996) suggest that verbal bullying is a common type of bullying that makes a
mockery out of the specific disability of a student. Teachers need to have self-efficacy in talking
about treating everyone with respect and dignity. Englander (2007) argues that adolescents that
bully identify students they see as different from the average group in their school. Classroom
educators need to acquire training for addressing disabilities and differences in a community of
learners. According to Schoen and Schoen (2010) plans of action are needed because school
officials understand the probability of students with disabilities being bullied is greater than
students without disabilities. Educators need to have the knowledge through job aids and
education to foster the best learning environment that negates bullying. Schoen and Schoen
(2010) suggest that the plans to prevent these acts should include consequences for all school
levels. Educators along with the whole community need to incorporate solutions for the
prevention of bullying in order to reclaim their schools as safe learning environments (Schoen &
Schoen, 2010).
Bullying is closely connected to hate crimes. Teachers need to know through training on
dealing with this connection to bullying in the classroom setting. According to Englander (2007),
the victims of bullying and hate crimes are selected because of their affiliation to a specific
group. Educators are not always knowledgeable or have a form of self-efficacy in having these
crucial discussions and therefore victims do not have an open place to communicate their
feelings. Englander (2007) assert that the victims of bullying and hate crimes are mostly
adolescents. Naumann (2001) shares that both bullying and hate crimes are deeply rooted in the
misunderstanding of adolescents with differences from their normal. The majority of adolescents
IMPEDING BULLYING 38
who are identified with differences are more frequently the victims of both bullying and hate
crimes than those without (Englander, 2007). The choices in victims are similar in both bullying
and hate crimes because their targets are often identified by society as different because of their
race, religion or sexual preference (Englander, 2007).
Procedural knowledge influences. Teachers identified the steps that students will follow
in order to learn the social skills necessary to prevent bullying. The stakeholders need to know
how to acquire information and training on approaches that best provided students within the
classrooms an opportunity to address problems in order to negate bullying. Teachers need to
know how to create a positive classroom setting which is an essential component in the
prevention of bullying. Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2015) argues that data must be
examined to see how big bullying has become before prevention can begin. Although,
researchers have attempted to recognize possible root causes of bullying, little research has been
done on examining the teachers’ perception on impeding bullying. Yoon, Sulkowski, Bauman
(2014) posit that teachers are often overlooked in addressing the issue of bullying. Teachers need
to know how to identify and minimize the risks in a classroom environment. According to the
Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2015) after the data has been gathered to show what the risks
are then the quest begins on the development of bullying prevention. The proactive response to
bullying has caused schools to explore programs of prevention. Harris and Hathorn (2006) assert
that increased efforts have been dedicated to finding preventative solutions. The Olweus
Bullying Prevention Program is a program designed to prevent bullying in schools
(Olweus,1993). Olweus (1993) affirms that there was a decrease in the rates of bullying after two
years of the program’s implementation. The program has received recognition for its success
internationally (Olweus,1993). Schoen and Schoen (2010) argues that another program that is
IMPEDING BULLYING 39
researched and taking a serious stand on bullying prevention is called Second Step. This program
places an emphasis on preventing violence by focusing on building social skills (Schoen &
Schoen, 2010). Schoen and Schoen (2010) affirm that within one year there was an increase in
students being socially confident and a decrease in students being antisocial. Both of these
programs are research supported and effective toward the prevention of bullying (Schoen &
Schoen, 2010).
Metacognitive knowledge influences. The psychological effects of bullying are long
term and can result in suicide. The stakeholders’ awareness of their own cognition and cognitive
processes
allow them to be knowledgeable of these effects. Therefore, educators will reflect on their own
actions that contribute to the classroom climate. Karen (2007) asserts that sufferers of bullying
are five times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and four times more apt to actually commit
the act. Teachers need to understand the severe effects of bullying in order to place a significant
value on the importance of creating an environment in the classroom that impedes bullying.
Karen (2007) affirms that adolescents who were the perpetrators of bullying were three times
more likely to have suicidal thoughts and attempt suicide than those that did not perpetrate
bullying in a learning environment. According to O’Moore (2000) and Vossekuil et al., (2002)
sufferers of bullying have a greater probability of committing suicide and homicide which was
exhibited as the number of adolescents increased in several parts of the world. Victims of
bullying tend to have thoughts of suicide more often than non-victims (Bannink et al., 2014).
Shireen, et al. (2014) assert that suicide is the prominent cause of death among adolescents in
America. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) (2012) affirms that suicide
IMPEDING BULLYING 40
rates among adolescents have increased from 6.3% in 2009 to 7.8% in 2011. In addition, the
cause of these suicides has been linked to bullying (CDCP, 2012).
Motivation
General theory. Clark and Estes (2008) highlights circumstances utilizing the
motivational indexes of persistence, active choice, and mental effort. An individual who is
motivated to reach a goal, but then gets side tracked is known as persistence. Having good
intentions to act, however never following through on the good intentions is called active choice.
Deciding not to use knowledge in order to problem solve refers to mental effort.
The literature that was examined reflects motivation-referenced influences that are
essential to the prevention of bullying at the middle school level in education. Motivation is an
internal process in which goals are initiated and acted on (Mayer, 2011). According to Rueda
(2011) motivation stems from people’s beliefs or social environment. Motivation is important
because when it is present, learning is optimal and goals are accomplished (Rueda, 2011). The
Self-Efficacy Theory and Expectancy Value Theory were shared in the motivation section. These
theories were selected because the stakeholders incorporated both of them in order to effectively
create a positive classroom climate.
Self-efficacy theory. The beliefs of self-efficacy are the substance of human motivation
(Pajares, 2006). People who believe in their own ability to achieve the goals are successful
(Pajares, 2006). According to Pajares (2006) when people do not believe in their own efforts to
produce desired outcomes they lack incentive to move forward. Additionally, having high self-
efficacy positively influence motivation which contribute to positive expectations in obtaining
successful outcomes (Pajares, 2006). Therefore, self-efficacy is a form of motivation that will
enhance a learning environment in a positive way.
IMPEDING BULLYING 41
Teachers’ self-efficacy. Educators need to believe in their ability to create a positive
classroom environment. They need to understand that in creating an atmosphere where students
feel safe, show respect for their classmates, and are making responsible social choices, they are
setting the pace for the students and impeding bullying. Teachers need to believe that they can
disable bullying by stopping negative or disruptive behavior. In a middle school classroom, the
students need to have teachers that are confident in their abilities to have the crucial
conversations that encourage adolescents to make the right decisions when they interact with
their peers. Educators need to have the ability to provide a learning environment where students
feel emotionally and physically safe, operate with respect, and place learning as a priority within
the classroom. The belief that high expectations are a necessary component to a nurturing
classroom setting is a value that all educators should feel capable of being able to deliver.
Expectancy value theory. Eccles (2006) assert that people with high self-confidence do
well in accomplishing their goals. Moreover, the belief that the expectations of individuals will
be reached and the value in the fact that it is obtainable encompasses the essence of the
expectancy value theoretical model (Eccles, 2006). Furthermore, Rueda (2011) confirms that a
key principle in the expectancy value theory it the stronger the value, the stronger the
commitment to the expected outcome. Eccles (2006) also suggest that the beliefs in the
expectancy value model are closely related to the authentic experiences of people. There are
several influences that determine the value of making good social decisions (Eccles, 2006).
Additionally, Eccles (2006) argues that intrinsic, attainment, utility, and perceived cost are the
different aspects of value in which people use in determining the best decision for their desired
outcome. Therefore, Eccles (2006) assert that people consider how these social decisions will
benefit them reaching their goals.
IMPEDING BULLYING 42
Teachers’ expectancy value. Teachers need to value the lives of students and equip
themselves with the essential knowledge to stop bullying. Eccles (2006) assert that the value that
is gained from enjoyment of obtaining the goal is known as intrinsic value. Educators need to
believe that it is imperative to impede bullying within the classroom. Furthermore, the way
individuals view their image reflects their value (Eccles, 2006). Therefore, educators need to
operate with a confident belief that promotes the creation of a productive and safe atmosphere
for their classrooms. Moreover, by operating with this belief they are making a statement to their
students that they value them and desire a learning environment that sets the pace for dismantling
bullying. Additionally, Eccles (2006) shares that the perceived value of a task is determined by
the cost which includes the loss of energy and time or the feelings that influenced the completed
task. Therefore, by doing the work that needs to be done to create an environment where bullying
is non-existent is a reflects the teachers’ confidence in preventing this issue.
Organization
Although, this section focused on the literature that influenced the organization. The
general theory provided an in-depth view of how the stakeholders within the organization have
an impact on the conditions that failed to disable bullying. Moreover, the literature highlighted
the possible stakeholder influences that were essential for the research questions, that focused on
what the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to producing positive classroom climates
that impede bullying as well as identifying the interaction between the school/district culture and
context and the teachers’ knowledge and motivation.
General Theory. Clark and Estes (2008) assert that many organizations still are
impacted with performance gaps even when the workers have the knowledge and motivation to
do their jobs well. Moreover, organizational influences play a role in the progress of change and
IMPEDING BULLYING 43
when the goals are not aligned performance gaps unfold or are present (Clark and Estes, 2008).
Furthermore, Clark and Estes (2008) assert that problems are created when the necessary tools of
the organization do match their needs. Additionally, Kezar (2001) suggest that organizational
change is a process and involves having an in-depth understanding of its traditional history
which requires time.
Culture
General Theory. Clark and Estes (2008) assert that organizational culture can be
analyzed based on cultural models and cultural settings. Cultural models are the ways in which
cultural practices and are the beliefs of an organization (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes
(2008) assert that the ways in which people operate within their organizations are considered
cultural settings. Cultural influences are developed over time in different organizations (Clark &
Estes, 2008). Shein (2004) posits that culture is defined as a pattern of behavior with the
assumption that is shared by a group who embraces that way of thinking and feeling to the point
in which the people within the organization respond to issues with that mindset. Climate and
culture are defined as the response of an organization in which is centered around the feeling,
operation, and selected goals (Schneider et al., 1996). Bolman and Deal (1995) assert that deep
beliefs of an organization are often unconsciously patterned or are symbolically formed.
Therefore, culture is the beliefs of an organization in which a system naturally operates (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Cultural models. The teachers within the middle school classroom influence the culture
of the learning environment. Teachers do not have the essential knowledge concerning bullying.
Garandeau and Salmivalli (2014) assert that the research shows that personal contributors are not
the only factor in adolescent bullying but the learning environment has a role in the way they
IMPEDING BULLYING 44
interact. Moreover, teachers do not understand the value in addressing ways to prevent bullying.
Konishi, Zumbo, and Li (2010) argue that it is important for teachers to connect and value
students in order to advance to an anti-bullying model within the classroom. Additionally, the
school organization needs to communicate to the teachers that their role in creating a positive
classroom climate to impede bullying is a priority. Furthermore, the impact of bullying has a
major impact on the health of adolescents and their performance in school (Abdour & Krouse,
2014). Clark and Estes (2008) assert that culture is a major part of an organization because it
exhibits how well the workers will function to finish the job. In addition, the possibility of
aligning one’s work culture with one’s performance is not yet a reality (Clark & Estes, 2008).
However, according to Clark and Estes (2008), the beliefs of the stakeholders within an
organization guide decisions that are used to obtain the goals. Therefore, educators need to make
the decision to acquire the necessary skills that promote positive classroom environments where
bullying is absent.
Cultural Settings. While, cultural models are centered on the cognitive aspect of an
organization, cultural settings are focused on the situational environment in which the
organization operates (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Additionally, Gallimore and Goldenberg
(2001) suggest that in places that have an engaging atmosphere where meaningful activities are
being done a reflection of culture exists. Therefore, learning environments where students are
engaged in authentic learning lessons is a reflection of a positive classroom climate which
reflects culture (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
IMPEDING BULLYING 45
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Teachers’ Knowledge and Motivation and the
School/District Context
The final conceptual framework of the study in Figure 1 encompassed the key
components of the study and exhibited the connections between important concepts as they
related to the problem of practice (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The conceptual framework
incorporated two sources of research: the literature highlighted above in which the organizational
culture and context of a school/district and the role of teachers, and the gap analysis work of
Clark and Estes (2008) which emphasizes the process of examining organizational change. The
research study, in which relationships, concepts, and variables show a connection in how they
relate to the problem of practice creates the conceptual framework (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Clark and Estes (2008) asserts that stakeholders experience issues in performance that are related
to achieving the organizational goal and as a result are identified in three categories: knowledge,
motivation, and organization. The research study was completed to gain a richer understanding
of the perceptions middle school classroom educators who taught sixth through eighth grade
have about their abilities (knowledge and motivation) in creating positive classroom climates that
impede bullying and how teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district
culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that impede
bullying. Although, the organization, stakeholder knowledge, and stakeholder motivation are
present and highlighted, their existence is not isolated; therefore, the conceptual framework
connects them with the school/district and identifies their role in how they interrelate (Maxwell,
2005).
IMPEDING BULLYING 46
Figure 1. Final Conceptual Framework
The final conceptual framework exhibited the study’s research focus, which highlighted
the organizational and stakeholder influential elements of knowledge and motivation that
contribute to the gaps in performance for creating positive classroom climates that impede
bullying. BBB’s context as a district with high teacher participation and protocols within the
school/district, influences the support of educators acquiring the necessary knowledge skills
(procedural, declarative, and metacognitive) and their level of motivation which include their
expectancy value and self-efficacy in accomplishing the goal. Carmel (2007), asserts that
classrooms that are engaging with caring atmospheres and a focus on high expectations in which
clear and concise guidelines are followed, will enable students to be productive in order to negate
bullying. Miles and Huberman (1994) assert that the foundation of a conceptual framework
exhibits the key points of the study and the connection between them. The interrelationship that
is depicted in Figure 1, supports and confirms the Clark and Estes’ (2008) organizational,
knowledge, and motivation conceptual framework for this research study of bullying in a middle
school classroom is utilizing the teachers as the stakeholders. The constructs in Figure 1, exhibit
IMPEDING BULLYING 47
the district/school with the organizational elements that interact with the teachers’ knowledge
and motivation. The middle school teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact together. The
school/district context influences what they do and their knowledge of being equipped in
producing positive classroom climates. The cultural setting and modeling of the school/district
have an interrelationship with the middle school teachers in order to accomplish the goal.
Teachers do not have a strong communication foundation within the school, therefore, they do
not act on research knowledge to impede bullying. The school/district would be able to support
them in acquiring this knowledge in order to accomplish the organizational goal of creating a
safe learning environment (BBB, 2016). The role that educators have within the school/district
impact their procedural, declarative, and metacognitive knowledge of the overall learning
environment and their self-efficacy, which ultimately influences how they create positive
classroom climates that impede bullying.
Conclusion
The final vision of the conceptual framework was drawn from the related literature of
creating positive classroom climates, teachers, and related literature of the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences that may promote or prevent efforts toward
accomplishing the goals of the stakeholders and organization. Through related literature and
research these elements were used as a reflection of the essential value in addressing bullying in
the middle school classroom environment. The final conceptual framework focused on the
school district’s culture and climate influences and the interaction of the teachers’ knowledge
and motivation to create a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. Moreover, the
cultural influences were interrelated to the knowledge and motivation of the educators. Figure 1,
displayed the vision of the influential elements and how they connected to exhibit the final
IMPEDING BULLYING 48
conceptual framework of the qualitative research study. Maxwell (2005); Merriam and Tisdell
(2016) assert that the conceptual framework is the foundational compilation of the research
study. The initial conceptual framework was utilized in the development of the protocols for
interviews, analyzing data, and coding. However, the final conceptual framework reflected the
interrelationship between the school district’s culture and climate with the teachers’ knowledge
and motivation in creating a positive classroom climate. The qualitative approach was used to
further validate these elements of influence. In chapter three, the components of the qualitative
research approach were identified and deciphered to get an in-depth perspective of the teachers’
knowledge and motivation in relation to producing positive classroom climates that impede
bullying while examining how the teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the
school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates
that impede bullying.
IMPEDING BULLYING 49
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
The methodology of the study is presented in this chapter. The research purpose of the
study and the research questions are highlighted in the chapter. The main components of this
chapter are as follows: participating stakeholders, interview protocol, data collection and
instrumentation, data analysis, credibility and trustworthiness, ethics, and limitations and
delimitations. This chapter ends with a summary that emphasizes the overall information of the
methodology section.
The purpose of the study was to understand teachers’ perceptions of the elements of a
positive climate that impeding conditions that support bullying in the middle school classroom. It
was to gain thorough understanding of their knowledge and motivation related to producing
positive classroom climates that impede conditions that foster bullying as well as to gain insight
into the interaction between the school/district culture and context that shape the teachers’
knowledge and motivation in creating an environment that negates bullying. Chapter Three
presents the qualitative design that was used for the research study. The chapter offers the
methodology and research approach that was implemented to conduct the gap analysis through
the lens of knowledge, motivation, and organization which was purposed in the examination of
the organizational problem of bullying within the middle school classroom.
Research Questions
This study was guided by the following research questions:
1. What is the teachers' knowledge and motivation related to producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying?
IMPEDING BULLYING 50
2. How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district culture
and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that
impede bullying?
Participating Stakeholders
Middle school teachers were the stakeholders in the study. They are the direct connection
to the students. Throughout the study the focus was to gain insight into the teachers’ knowledge
and motivation as it related to fostering a classroom climate that impeded the conditions that
foster bullying. The focus was on educators who teach sixth through eighth grade in a middle
school because students experience more transition during these levels in education. Educators
can be instrumental in setting the social and emotional culture in their classroom, therefore it was
important to understand their perspectives concerning bullying to make a powerful impact and
strides toward its prevention.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. The educators taught sixth through eighth grade. Middle school students
experience a lot of transition in school and educators who teach in a middle school setting will be
able to provide insight on their knowledge and motivation of preventing bullying in the
classroom.
Criterion 2. The educators were in public school with sixth through eighth grade regular
educational classrooms.
Criterion 3. The participants all had individual classrooms. Teachers with their own
classroom provided authentic experiences that pertained to them being solely in charge of their
whole environment.
IMPEDING BULLYING 51
Criterion 4. The educators were experienced working in a middle school context.
Experienced teachers have been providing an environment to students for a longer time than
novice teachers which may result in richer data.
Criterion 5. The teachers taught core subjects of content. I sought out teachers who
taught general education courses that include subject areas of Language Arts, Mathematics,
Social Studies, and Science. I believed that these teachers were more prominent in the daily lives
of the students and had greater insight on how they set up their environment to prevent
conditions that supported bullying from happening in their classrooms.
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
The following methods were used in the research study. A purposeful sampling was used
to acquire participants for the study. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) posit that when researchers
want to discover or understand an issue, purposeful sampling allows them to select the best
sample from which the most can possibly be gained. Purposeful sampling was appropriate for
my study because Creswell (2008) says that it provides insight into the phenomenon. The
recruitment process to identify participants included reaching out to various administrators
within the district and explaining to them what the qualitative investigation required because the
ideal size of the sample was between 8 to 10 middle school teachers, which required more
seeking out more schools within the same district. The participants were purposefully selected
and they voluntarily participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. There were 10
educators that were a part of the qualitative study. The number of participants were appropriate
for the research study because they were able to provide their perceptions into how they impede
bullying within the learning environment, which gave insight on further addressing the issue of
IMPEDING BULLYING 52
bullying. The 10 educators who taught sixth through eighth grade voluntarily participated in the
research study.
The rationale was premised on gaining a deeper understanding of the teachers’
knowledge and motivation of creating positive classroom climates that impede conditions that
foster bullying while examining how the teachers’ knowledge and motivation interacted with the
school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates
that impede conditions that support bullying. The conducted research would provide a step in
addressing the issue of bullying. Although, researchers have been grounded in identifying the
root causes of bullying, very little research exists focusing on the perceptions of teachers and
how they create positive classroom climates that impede conditions that support bullying. This
investigation provides another perspective of addressing bullying.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The data collection method utilized for this study was interviews. I conducted face-to-
face qualitative interviews with 10 middle school teachers who teach in grades sixth through
eighth to gain a deeper understanding of their knowledge and motivation of producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying. I was striving to understand how they recognized
bullying when it was happening, responded to bullying when it was happening, and weather they
created healthy classroom environments that increased students’ productive and positive social
behaviors and reduced students’ negative and destructive or disruptive behaviors. I utilized
semi-structured interview questions (Appendix A). The types of questions selected focused on
answering the research questions. Moreover, the questions were organized to address one issue at
time which is known as single barreled. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) posit that the semi-structure
approach to provides an opportunity for the researcher to capture new perspectives during the
IMPEDING BULLYING 53
interview process. Additionally, Maxwell (2005) asserts that the methods used to gather the data
within the study should have provides the avenue in which meaning was conveyed. A
recruitment letter (Appendix B) was sent to several administrators to explain the goal of the
research study. Next, the participants were identified and interviews took place in comfortable
settings that the participant had the option of selecting. Finally, the participants were audio
recorded and provided their verbal consent to participate (Appendix C) in which open-ended
questions were used as the format. The interviews each lasted on average an hour.
Data Analysis
Data analysis began in the field as I listened to my participants during the interviews.
Bogdan and Biklen (2007) posit that data analysis begins during the data collection process. I
captured my initial thoughts and conclusions on paper as they related to the research questions
and conceptual framework. Analytic memos were also written after each interview. In addition,
after leaving the field, the interviews were transcribed professionally and each of the 10
transcripts went through a process of reading, highlighting key points, asking questions, coding
in different colors, inferencing, and interpreting. The transcripts were examined and read several
times to gain a full in-depth perspective of each participant. Additionally, I looked for
similarities and differences which provided common patterns and themes. Corbin and Strauss
(2008) state that this is a component in the approach that utilizes comparative analysis.
The first phase of analysis, open-coding was used to look for vivo codes. The vivo codes
were: I believe; I care about; clear expectations. Corbin and Straus (2008) posit that the purpose
of analytic tools is to help the researcher. I used the analytic tools explained in Corbin and
Straus’s (2008) which included identifying labels and categories, making comparisons, and
examining the language and emotions. I used different colors to code in the margin of the
IMPEDING BULLYING 54
transcripts. Each color represented a key component to my research questions. I wrote notes
below each of the participant’s response which included the identified color category and the
interpreted analysis of each response along with questions in parenthesis to further explain my
interpretation. The analytic tool that benefited me the most was identifying their use of language
and emotions. For example, one of the teachers that was interviewed felt extremely passionate
about creating a positive classroom climate and not only could you understand her passion but
through her use of language it was very evident. She expressed key elements that aligned with
my conceptual framework and I used the analytic tools to capture her knowledge and self-
efficacy in creating a positive classroom climate that impeded bullying.
In the second phase, analysis was conducted where empirical and priori codes are
aggregated into analytic or axial codes. I used codes such as CC-classroom climate, K-
knowledge, M-motivation, O-organization and E-education. Moreover, phase three of the data
analysis process consisted of identifying the pattern codes and themes that emerged in relation to
the conceptual framework and the research questions. In addition, I added the codes to my code
book, which helped in analyzing all participants. Making comparisons among the participants
helped to identify the elements that they embraced to create a positive classroom climate that
impeded bullying. Therefore, the 10 transcripts went through a rigorous process of analysis and
pseudo names were given to each participant to ensure that they could not be identified.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) assert that credibility is examining the research findings to
see how close they match to reality. Trustworthiness is the ability to demonstrate that the
researcher is competent throughout the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). To ensure credibility
and trustworthiness it was essential to proceed ethically throughout the qualitative research study
IMPEDING BULLYING 55
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Merriam and Tisdell (2016) assert that establishing trustworthiness
within a study is challenging. Moreover, trustworthiness in a qualitative study is equated to
reliability in a quantitative study which produces expectations of the same result. It is also a
challenge to establish credibility because qualitative studies are reality based assumptions
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Additionally, Merriam and Tisdell (2016) state that credibility is a
challenge to capture because in qualitative research the researchers are seeking to understand and
the data is holistic which is not like quantitative data which is simply measured. Therefore, to
ensure that credibility and trustworthiness were maintained within the qualitative research study,
member checking and reflexivity were utilized. During the interviews member checking was
implemented by asking the participants was I understanding their response correctly. Moreover,
member checking ensured that the data collected was accurate (Merriam &Tisdell, 2016).
Additionally, Merriam and Tisdell (2016) suggest that respondent validation is another way to
say member checking because the participants are validating their responses to ensure credibility.
Member checks are also valued because it provides the opportunity for the researcher to dispel
any biases that may have surfaced during the interviews (Maxwell, 2005).
The second strategy that was used to ensure credibility and trustworthiness was through
the utilization of reflexivity. Merriam and Tidell (2016) posit that reflexivity is the process of
reflecting on the researchers’ bias, beliefs, and assumptions about the research process. I wrote
analytic memos t. During the data analysis phase, the biases that might have surfaced were
recognized, which included my experience in almost two decades of K-12 education with both
elementary and middle school students. Additionally, my bias also stemmed from having
leadership experience in K-12 education. Although, my background knowledge played a role in
identifying what the educators expressed in their individual interviewed, these biased did not
IMPEDING BULLYING 56
prevent me from staying objective. During the analysis phase, the data was focused on by doing
a paradigm shift in my thinking that allowed me to focus solely on the objective which was to
answer the research questions. Therefore, the data was objectively viewed and analyzed in
relation to answering the research questions. My biases about education and the way educators
should produce a positive classroom climate were relevant to my study. However, my biases
were negated because I would acknowledge their presence but by staying committed to the
objective they were not in the way of gathering the data that would answer the research
questions. The data analysis was completed by doing paradigm shifts in my thinking which
allowed me in the analysis phase to only focus on the data which included what the educators
indicated and what they meant based on what they said. This strategy allowed my bias to be
guarded and the sole focus to be on the phenomenon of the study which included the facts of the
data that supported the answer to the selected research questions.
Ethics
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) posit that the values and ethics of the researcher is the ethical
practice of the study. In the qualitative research study, the focus was to understand the teachers’
knowledge and motivation of producing a positive classroom climate that impeded conditions
that supported bullying while also examining how the teachers’ knowledge and motivation
interact with the school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create a positive
learning environment that negated conditions that supported bullying. Educators who taught
sixth through eighth grade were the stakeholders and the gap analysis framework was utilized to
look through the lens of knowledge, motivation, and organization. Qualitative interviews were
used to collect data for the study. All participants provided recorded/verbal consent prior to the
interviews. They were informed that pseudonyms would be given to them to ensure their
IMPEDING BULLYING 57
contribution to the to the investigation would be confidential. Glesne (2011) highlights in his
ethical codes that all unnecessary risks should be not be a factor in a qualitative study. Therefore,
taking the risk of participants being revealed in the study is not a risk because of the replacement
of names. I also reassured my participants that throughout the interview that I would check to
make sure that I was understanding which would ensure that the data was accurate. To protect all
participants, I submitted my qualitative research study to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at
the University of Southern California in which the guidelines to protect their rights were defined
and followed throughout the entire study. The participants did not receive incentives that
persuaded them to be a part of the study. I explained to the participants that their role was strictly
voluntary for this study and the data gathered would be used to gain a deeper understanding of
how bullying was impeded in the middle school classroom. However, at the end of the study, the
participants received a small token of appreciation for being a voluntary participant who did not
expect anything in return. Therefore, it was reasonable to say thank you after my qualitative
study was complete.
Limitations and Delimitations
The limitations of the research study resulted from the design of the project. First, the
project was limited by the honesty and social desirability bias that resulted in participants
providing answers that they believe to be socially desirable and not a true representation of their
experience. This was the case in the context of qualitative interviews. Second, the project was
limited by the fact that it was assumed that all participants understood and interpreted the
interview questions in accordance to the manner intended.
The focus of the project was to examine teachers’ understandings of the classroom
conditions that would impede bullying in their middle school classrooms. As a novice researcher,
IMPEDING BULLYING 58
I did not create an interview protocol that would allow me to get at all of the information that I
would have needed in order to have more complete understanding of teachers’ knowledge and
skills with respect to creating a positive classroom climate and impeding bullying. In addition, I
was not skilled at probing for additional information during the interviews I conducted. For
example, during their interviews, 7 of the 10 of the teachers indicated that they did not receive
professional development on bullying. As a novice, I did not realize that it would be important to
probe their experiences and I did not ask the teachers where they had acquired the knowledge
that they did have about bullying. Thus, I was not able to provide more insight into this aspect of
the district-teacher relationships. In addition, the analysis of the data may have been completed
differently with more experience. In addition, the study was constrained by the fact that was
specific to the BBB School District and addressed the specific school district’s mission and
organizational goal, which cannot be generalized. The project was also delimited to examining
one key stakeholder group’s experience that may or may not be representative of that of other
stakeholder groups. While other stakeholder groups’ experiences and contributions are important
to the organization, an in-depth investigation of those lie outside the scope of the current project.
Conclusion
The section concentrated on the methodology for the qualitative study. The focus of the
research study was to gain more insight into the problem of bullying. The qualitative approach
encompassed various components that were designed to gain an in-depth perspective of
addressing the problem of practice. The components of this section were centered on the research
design, criteria for selecting participants, data collection, credibility and trustworthiness, and the
ethics for the protection of the participants. In Chapter Four, the research results and findings of
the study are described.
IMPEDING BULLYING 59
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gain a deeper understanding of the
teachers’ perception of impeding bullying in the middle school classroom. The knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences on the problem of practice were utilized to answer the
research question that was aligned with the conceptual framework. Throughout the research
study, significant findings of the teachers’ perceptions were uncovered. The educators in this
investigation taught in grades sixth through eighth in a school district that is public. The
qualitative research revealed the influences of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
findings that contributed to extending a deep understanding of teachers’ perceptions of impeding
bullying in the middle school classroom.
The collected data only addressed the first research question:
1. What is the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying?
2. How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district
culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom
climates that impede bullying?
This investigation involved qualitative interviews from ten educators who teach at the
middle school level in the Upper Midwest of the United States. Meador (2016), posits that the
issue of bullying is a problem of practice for all districts and has received national attention.
Examining their perceptions is a progressive step for discovering ways in which programs can be
utilized in further addressing the problem of practice.
The interview questions empowered the participants to express their perceptions of
creating a classroom environment that impeded conditions that supported bullying. However, in
IMPEDING BULLYING 60
some of the interviews the data presents that the teachers were not actually fostering climates
that were likely to impede bullying but creating a competitive atmosphere where bullying could
easily occur. Each participant was asked a series of questions that embodied information that
would address the two research questions.
At the onset of analysis possible and assumed interfering elements were listed and
examined using a systematic approach. In the process of analysis, actual and validated data from
the qualitative interviews became the primary focus. There were three findings for question one
and one finding for question two. This chapter presents the answers to the research questions and
expands on the themes within the findings of the investigation.
Participating Stakeholders
The qualitative investigation incorporated the perceptions of 10 middle teachers who
were identified as follows Ava, Isabella, Mia, Abigail, Emily, Charlotte, Harper, Madison,
Amelia, and Elizabeth. These educators agreed to be participants in this study by discussing their
perceptions of creating a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying and addresses how the
school/district played a role in them being able to negate bullying within their classrooms. The
problem of practice framework through the lens of knowledge, motivation, and organization
were utilized in uncovering the data to capture the answers to the research questions.
Table 2.
Participating Stakeholders.
Name Grade(s) Taught Subject
Ava
6
th
-8
th Language Arts
Isabella
6
th
-8
th Social Studies
Mia
6
th
-8
th Math
Abigail
6
th
-8
th Language Arts
Emily
6
th
-8
th Language Arts
Charlotte
6
th
-8
th Language Arts
Harper
6
th
-8
th Social Studies
IMPEDING BULLYING 61
Madison
6
th
-8
th Language Arts
Amelia
6
th
-8
th Science
Elizabeth
6
th
-8
th Math
Findings
The conducted research study utilized qualitative interviews to provide an in-depth
analysis of the perceptions of middle teachers in a school district that is public. The data
collected provided answers to the selected research questions. The gap analysis through the lens
of knowledge, motivation, and organization was utilized in a compilation of themes that reflect
the findings throughout the investigational study.
Research question one asked, “What is the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to
producing positive classroom climates that impede bullying?” The data exhibited from the
qualitative interviews of 10 educators revealed that they had various understandings about the
components that function to create a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. In
addition, they specified similar ideas about positive climate elements and included explanations
about their own strategies to creating one which exhibited a differentiated approach or lack in
impeding bullying. Moreover, in some situations, their approaches suggested that they were
cultivating climates that were not positive and may support or reinforce bullying. Two findings
emerged from this answer and were accompanied by five themes, which aligned with the
influences of knowledge and motivation. The three themes highlighted in Finding 1 were as
follows: 1) All 10 of the teachers expressed that having a safe and comfortable environment was
an essential component of a positive classroom climate, 2) Care was another element (although
care was not defined the same way by all teachers. Some described aesthetic care (only cared
about their academic success). Others described authentic and aesthetic care where they cared
IMPEDING BULLYING 62
about the “whole child,” the child’s inside and outside of school life, and 3) The educators
agreed that clear expectations (behavioral, not necessarily academic) was an essential element of
a positive climate. In Finding 2 two themes emerged and they were as follows: 1) There were
some components named by only those who cultivated a positive climate and 2) Some teachers
described their approaches in ways that suggested they cultivated negative climates that
promoted behavior that supports bullying.
Finding 1: Teachers had a Range of Understanding about the Elements of a Positive
Classroom Climate that Impeded Bullying.
The teachers identified essential components of a positive classroom climate in which
there were variated perceptions of the identified components. All 10 of the educators identified
the essential component of students feeling safe and comfortable in their learning environment.
While everyone identified care as essential to creating a positive classroom climate, their
definitions varied. Finally, they all agreed on having clear behavioral expectations which they
emphasized as a necessary component in cultivating a classroom climate that impedes bullying.
Theme 1: Positive classroom climates are “safe” and “comfortable” places for
students. The first theme to emerge in relation to this finding was that all 10 teachers believed
that the classroom should be a safe environment where students could feel comfortable in
learning. For example, one way Ava talked about creating a safe environment where her students
felt comfortable about learning was the way in which she described her approach to the
beginning of class. She said,
Before getting their attention in the classroom, when they’re coming in I’m outside the
door so that if something is going on with one of my students they can share that and I
IMPEDING BULLYING 63
won’t be calling on them or not understanding why they are not participating when
maybe they’re one of the students that talk all the time.
Here, she indicated that it was important to her to gather information about her students
before they entered the classroom so that she would be able to create the best learning
environment possible. By knowing if there was something wrong, she could avoid calling on a
student and making it harder for that student to learn. Moreover, she gained information about
why the student was not choosing to participate, which provided her with more insight into that
student’s silence. From her perspective, Ava’s knowledge and awareness of her students’
challenges allowed her to make a more comfortable place for those students to learn.
Another teacher, Emily, also indicated that she had a desire to have a safe and
comfortable environment. She stated, “I think the classroom should be one that is welcoming and
relaxed so that the children feel comfortable and feel safe.” Additionally, Emily clearly indicated
that she believed in having a safe and comfortable place of learning through her language in the
prior quotation. Similarly, Elizabeth believed that a welcoming and relaxed classroom was one in
which students would feel safe to learn. She said that “As a classroom teacher, I believe the
classroom environment should be one where students feel safe and an environment where
learning can take place.” In these two statements, the teachers indicated that safety was linked to
feeling comfortable in the classroom. These teachers’ statements are aligned to the literature on
the elements of a positive classroom climate. The CDCP (2015) posits that promoting a safe and
comfortable atmosphere for students are steps toward creating a positive learning environment.
The goals or expectations of the teachers with respect to creating safe and comfortable
environments align with research that indicates that there is a lower likelihood that students will
bully each other in climates that are safe (Lee et al., 2011).
IMPEDING BULLYING 64
Theme 2: While “care” is a core component of a positive classroom climate, care
means different things to different teachers. The second theme to emerge was that all teachers
believed care was important yet 2 of the 10 teachers identified authentic and aesthetic care while
the remaining 8 just identified aesthetic care. As explained by Valenzuela (1999), authentic care
is exhibited by caring about the well-being of students and treating them as people that
experience real life. She suggests that aesthetic care pertains to the teachers’ desire for their
students to care about their academic goals and accomplishments. One teacher who expressed
that both authentic and aesthetic care were important was Ava. She stated that
I want them to understand and know in their heart that they can ask me any question. If
we’re talking on subject and we’re talking about someone, a composer or an artist, or any
person that I am trying to convey what they are doing, I want that student to feel
comfortable. If they do not understand, I’m hoping that in my class they feel comfortable
enough to let me know that, to put that hand up and not feel that they will be ridiculed by
one of their classmates. That is something I don’t tolerate, is making fun of anyone. I try
to be the kind of teacher that is very perceptive of my students. If something does not
seem right, I talk with that person, maybe a few minutes after class, before they go to the
other class. All in all, it’s important to make each kid feel special, each kid to feel that
they are there and that they are important to me as a teacher.
Here, Ava’s language, “know in their heart that they can ask me any question,” suggested
that she had a strong desire for her students to know deeply that she cared because no question is
off limits, all questions are possible. In addition, she wanted them to understand that she would
protect them from ridicule, that she did not tolerate it. Moreover, Ava expressed her compassion
for protecting her students, which exhibited a positive student-teacher rapport. These statements
IMPEDING BULLYING 65
are evidence of authentic care because she is clear that she is thinking about their well-being as
people, not only as students. Moreover, she emphasized the point that “If something does not
seem right, I talk with that person, maybe a few minutes after class, before they go to the other
class,” suggesting that she cared so much about her students that she refused to let them leave
with a problem that she could assist them in solving before they transitioned to their next class.
This example demonstrates her belief in the value of authentic caring as she focused on students
as individual people with a real life. Ava also indicated that she incorporated this approach to
exhibit authentic care by saying, doing the following,
I am very open with my students, writing notes is one way I interact to find out what’s
going on. My students are very good at putting notes in my mailbox and when I talk
about it or address the class, that this is happening, I never say names. I never have to say
names because I talk about what is right, what is wrong and what should be done and that
person that is in that class knows. I never look at him or her. I just address what I feel has
happened. I address what is going to happen if this keeps up, et cetera, et cetera. Usually
it just stops. It just stops, it doesn’t go on anymore in my class. I get a note saying,
“Thank you Ava: for talking in the classroom. Uh, this person has not said anything else
to me.” I get a thank you. I tell them, "It’s going no further." They can be anonymous if
they want to, they don’t have to put their names on there or they can tell me. Nine times
out of 10, I get their name is on there because they know I am not go back and push and
say, "This person, Tom Jones, told me that you were doing this." I don’t operate that way.
Ava, indicated that her students wrote notes about anything that may be going on in the
classroom that she missed. She suggested that this strategy provided her students with complete
privacy in being transparent with her about any situation that had occurred or was going to occur.
IMPEDING BULLYING 66
Ava, added that although, she hadn’t required her students to put their name, that they do it
anyway because of the trust that they have in her not saying their names but kept it confidential.
This aligns with the research that suggests that when students have a positive student-teacher
relationship it contributes to creating a positive classroom environment (Migliaccio, 2015).
Additionally, she explained using the language,
There is an entire way of operating as teacher, as an adult, and getting your point across
and being discreet about what you do, then to embarrass that person that wrote you that
note and directly confront the person that she or he is talking about. That is not the way to
go about it. I am very respectful of a person that trusts me enough to write a note and let
me know what is going on.
Ava, conveyed a message that exhibited her authentic care for her students and a high
level of respect for them. She exhibited a commitment that she would keep her students’
experiences confidential by keeping the notes private. In addition, she suggested that she very
candidly addressed the issues written in the notes, which conveyed to her class that she cared
about them as individuals and respected her students’ trust in her. Therefore, Ava created a
caring trust relationship amongst her students which aligned with the research that suggests
authentic care is an element that contributes to creating a positive classroom climate that impedes
bullying. Another example of authentic and aesthetic caring was when Elizabeth explained that
What I want to be true in my classroom is that the students understand, they know, it is a
truth that I absolutely care about their well-being personally. I care about them, their
academics of course, and I care also about their tomorrow. That is a truth that they should
know about their teacher as well as being able to collaborate with their peers in a safe
and, again, in a way where they’re learning from one another.
IMPEDING BULLYING 67
While Elizabeth suggested authentic care by stating, “What I want to be true in my
classroom is that the students understand, they know, it is a truth that I absolutely care about
their well-being personally and about their tomorrow,” which conveyed her belief that her
students were individuals with real life experiences and exhibited her approach to creating a
positive classroom climate. Elizabeth also placed an emphasis on aesthetic care which suggested
her desire for her students to care about their learning by saying, “That is a truth that they should
know about their teacher as well as being able to collaborate with their peers in a safe and, again,
in a way where they’re learning from one another.” Her language suggested that her truth
encompassed high levels of care from herself and her students, which contributed to having a
positive classroom climate. Moreover, she emphasized that her feelings toward her students were
not just focused on them obtaining their academic goals, but also about her caring about her
students on a personal level. The finding aligns to the research that suggests when a classroom
encompass the component of care it contributes to creating a positive learning environment. The
CDCP (2012) asserts that a positive learning atmosphere embraces being respectful, caring, and
honest which help teachers to foster a pleasant learning experience. Carmel (2007) asserts that
classrooms with caring atmospheres enable students to be very productive while impeding
bullying.
On the other hand, the remaining eight teachers spoke only to the value of aesthetic care.
For example, Isabella shared an example of aesthetic care when she said,
Well, it ... First off, it’s very important for the children to trust that you have the
knowledge that is going to get them to the level of learning that your expectation ... That
you’re expecting. Once that’s established, then I also feel, along with that, that you’re
developing a relationship with the children so that they know that you are respectful and
IMPEDING BULLYING 68
understanding of the way they learn, and open minded and open doored. I don’t believe
that a teacher should be ... act as a higher power. I think it should be a situation where the
children feel equal when it comes to respecting ... asking questions and understanding
material.
Here, Isabella illustrated aesthetic care when she used the language, “Well, it ... First off,
it’s very important for the children to trust that you have the knowledge that is going to get them
to the level of learning that your expectation ... That you’re expecting,” to suggests that she
desires her students to care about the goals that they need to have which will lead them to
accomplishing their academic goals and is aesthetic care. Moreover, she expressed aesthetic care
by saying,
Once that’s established, then I also feel, along with that, that you’re developing a
relationship with the children so that they know that you are respectful and understanding
of the way they learn, and open minded and open doored. I don’t believe that a teacher
should be ... act as a higher power. I think it should be a situation where the children feel
equal when it comes to respecting ... asking questions and understanding material.
Here she suggested that being respectful, understanding of the way they learn, and having
an open mind played a role in their learning environment to achieve their goals. She is only
focused on creating conditions for their learning, reaching their academic goals. There is no
evidence here that she cared about them as real people outside of their ability to reach their
academic goals. Therefore, she exhibited aesthetic care. Another teacher, Madison shared how
she cared by saying,
I want it to be true that the kids know that I care about them. The kids know that I know
what I’m doing. I want it to be true that the kids feel safe to make a mistake. I want it to
IMPEDING BULLYING 69
be true that I’m going to tell them the truth. I want it to be true that what I’m teaching
matters and what I’m teaching will directly affect their learning.
Madison indicated in her message that she wanted her students to understand that she
cared about them and she desired for them to feel safe in making a mistake. Moreover, she
painted the picture that she wanted them to know that she was honest and that what she was
teaching will impact them academically. Madison suggested that she cared about their feelings
but does not show an indication of caring about their well-being which is a clear reflection of
aesthetic care.
Similarly, like the previous two teachers, Charlotte shared, “Well, I would hope that all
my students are glad to be there and that they are ready to learn and that they feel comfortable in
being themselves,” which suggested that she desired for her students to enjoy being present in
her classroom, focusing on the academic goal of being ready to learn, but did not indicate that
she cared about them as people or what their lives were like outside of the classroom. Valenzuela
(1999) states that aesthetic care is when teachers care about how the student feels in relation to
their classroom environment, which aligns with what Charlotte believed about her students.
Theme 3: Clear behavioral expectations were a necessary component of positive
classroom climates. The third theme to develop was that all 10 teachers believed in setting clear
behavioral expectations, which are a necessary component to creating a positive learning
environment. Carmel (2007) asserts that having high expectations in which distinct and succinct
guidelines are followed, will enable students to engage in a positive learning setting. Bibou-
Nakou et al. (2009) argues that the teachers’ behavioral expectations and high standards help
students to develop their feelings of confidence in obtaining academic completion which play a
IMPEDING BULLYING 70
role in negating bullying in the classroom. One example of setting solid behavioral expectations
was when Harper reflected on an experience by saying
I was like, “Okay. So, since we had a problem with music earlier this week, we are going
to figure out how to make that right on your time in gym.” And they were like, “Oh no!
Not now." "Oh, now. Please trust me." Our Phys. Ed. teacher said, "It’s fine." And our
Phys. Ed. teacher is sitting down drinking coffee like, "Go ahead." And all the kids are
like, "I don’t believe it. We dressed for gym. This is the only time we get to, you know,
be active. We got a game going." And I said, "I bet you do." I said, "But guess what? The
music teacher had an assignment and some songs for you to sing. Since y’all wanted to
hold her hostage, let me show you what hijacking really looks like." They’re like, "Oh!"
We did like a speech.” She reflected further on this experience by saying, “I would have
to stop my students for a certain thing. I think when you have that kind of rapport with
your students, that you can look at. Because you’re doing that not because you’re mean
or you’re tough. Or you have no reason, or you want to show that you’re in power.
You’re doing it because society has rules for them and I need them to understand that.
And you need to have an expectation of what better looks like. Even if you’ve never been
exposed to it, or if you have. You need to know that it’s expected of you. I think that’s
the thing that I always try to do. Like I said, society has set the ground for them. Once
they understand all that, then it’s much easier to teach.
Here, Harper suggested that she made it very clear that she expected students to meet her
expectations or that there would be consequences. As the students were not able to abide by her
expectations during music class, she ensured that they had to give up some of their gym time as
the consequence for their misbehavior. Harper depicted in her example that clear behavioral
IMPEDING BULLYING 71
expectations were important to her and that she expected them to be present in every classroom
that her students attended. In addition, she shared her reflection to her approach by saying,
I would have to stop my students for a certain thing. I think when you have that kind of
rapport with your students, that you can look at. Because you’re doing that not because
you’re mean or you’re tough. Or you have no reason, or you want to show that you’re in
power. You’re doing it because society has rules for them and I need them to understand
that. And you need to have an expectation of what better looks like. Even if you’ve never
been exposed to it, or if you have. You need to know that it’s expected of you. I think
that’s the thing that I always try to do. Like I said, society has set the ground rules for
them. Once they understand all that, then it’s much easier to teach.
Harper expressed her belief that students needed to learn the “rules” that society had
created for them so that they could be productive members, do what was expected of them. Her
obligation was to set the ground rules so that they would understand them and she would hold
them accountable to those rules. Her expectations are consistent with those associated with a
positive classroom climate because research suggests that students can see the value of why the
rules are in place and the rules create accountability for students to choose to focus on learning
(Nakou et al., 2009). Harper illustrated with her words a scenario of how expectations impacted
classroom climate. Harper followed through on expectations that she deemed a priority in
establishing behavior standards for her classroom while enacting her belief that these
expectations would be exhibited everywhere her students go.
Another teacher who expressed the importance of clear behavioral expectations was
Elizabeth. She stated that
IMPEDING BULLYING 72
It’s setting those standards and expectations on day one. Knowing what it is you want and
how you want your classroom to operate and being consistent with that, realizing that I
have to give constant feedback to my students and having a system in place where they
understand the rewards and the consequences for their behaviors and to be very in tune
and aware of what’s going on in the classroom.
Here, Elizabeth exhibited her belief in having clear behavioral expectations by saying,
“It’s setting those standards and expectations on day one. Knowing what it is you want and how
you want your classroom to operate and being consistent with that.” She suggested that the
expectations not only needed to be set but it was imperative to be consistent, which is a
contributing element in producing a positive learning atmosphere that impedes bullying (Lee et
al., 2014). In addition, her knowledge and skills of how to enact her clear behavioral standards
were evident in language in communicating the element of creating a positive learning
environment that negates bullying. Moreover, succinct behavioral expectations align with the
research in which Lee et al. (2014) emphasizes that this factor is a contribution in cultivating a
positive classroom climate where bullying is impeded.
While Elizabeth valued consistency, Ava valued her students feeling confident in her
classroom by having solid rules in place in which she talked about a few times throughout the
study and began by saying, “I try to start the beginning of my classroom, the very beginning,
setting rules and regulations that they follow. I feel that they feel pretty good about that. That is
the kind of teacher I am.” She suggested that at the onset of her classes that she placed interest in
her students’ feelings toward the rules and regulations of the class. Moreover, she indicated that
her students’ positive response to the rules motivated them to uphold them. In addition, her self-
efficacy was shown in her ability to provide clear expectations that she said the students
IMPEDING BULLYING 73
appreciated and followed, which conveyed that she thought she utilized concise behavior
standards to produce a positive learning setting that impeded bullying. Another aspect of Ava’s
knowledge and motivation was exhibited in creating a positive atmosphere was when she stated,
Well, number one, as they come in, there are rules on the board. They’re not a lot. I don’t
believe in putting a lot of things down. I feel that they learn as they go along, but certain
rules are there. One is the golden rule, "Do onto others as you would have them to do
onto you." I know they smile on that because they hear it all the time. Number two, being
respectful of each other if someone is talking. Three, always raise your hand to get my
attention. Four, respect each and every one around you. Five, smile and have a nice day
in my class. They usually get a real kick out of that because they know that I want them
to feel comfortable and we have a great time together and feel that there’s nothing they
cannot ask me about the subject we’re talking about.
She indicated that she involved the students and reviewed the behavioral expectations, in
which she believed was an important factor in them feeling comfortable. Moreover, Ava
exhibited a positive teacher-student rapport with them when she explained that the last rule
reflected an endearing positive action that everyone in the class could do. Additionally, her
positive reflection of having solid expectations in place highlighted the research in which Carmel
(2007) asserts that when students abide by the behavioral expectations, the learning environment
allows students to engage in a positive atmosphere. The third way in which Ava demonstrated
that it was important that the students were clear about the expectations she had set for them was
when she stated, “I expect them to follow the rules and nine out of 10, they do because if
students are comfortable in your class and they’re having fun, in-spite of what you are talking
about you can get a lot out of students.” Ava exhibited not being heavy on the rules as she shared
IMPEDING BULLYING 74
by saying, “They’re not a lot. I don’t believe in putting a lot of things down. I feel that they learn
as they go along, but certain rules are there,” which suggested that she has the knowledge and
skills that, in setting behavioral expectations, less is more. This meant that the students had less
to remember and they abided by the rules because they enjoyed the classroom environment that
was in place. Moreover, she valued her students as people and felt good about their confidence in
following the behavior expectations that she had put in place, which contributed to her creating a
positive learning atmosphere. Therefore, the finding aligns with the research that shares that
when students have distinct and brief behavioral expectations they feel confident in their learning
environment which reduces the risk of bullying in the classroom setting (Bibou-Nakou et al.,
2009).
Finding 2: While Teachers Articulated Similar Ideas About the Essential Components,
they also Provided Insight that Showed They Were Not Equal in Enacting a Positive
Climate.
Similar approaches were indicated using essential components by the educators to create
positive classroom climate. The various approaches provided an in-depth perspective of how
they are not equal in creating positive classroom climates that impede bullying. Moreover, their
different approaches signaled the diversity in creating positive learning atmospheres, but in some
instances cultivated a negative climate that promoted behavior that supports bullying.
Theme 1: There were some components named by only those who cultivated a
positive climate. The first theme to emerge in relation to this finding was that some components
were highlighted by those educators who only created a positive climate in their classrooms.
Eight out of the 10 educators encompassed the factors that align with the research on creating a
positive classroom climate. CDCP (2012) states that factors that influence classroom climates
IMPEDING BULLYING 75
include discipline, student engagement, and classroom management. In one example, Charlotte
says,
Well, at the beginning of the school year, I share what my expectations are, let them
know what my classroom rules are, have them have input into and tell them what the
consequences may be and have a mutual understanding of what the expectations are.
Then, if they don’t meet it I can certainly point it out what are "mission" may be,
"mission" or "mission statement" may be and then we would all have to live up to that. I
would have to be the type of teacher who has consequences and always adhere to those
consequences so that they know what to expect.
Here Charlotte indicated that she shared her expectations or rules with her students at the
beginning of the year so that there was no confusion on their part about what was expected of
them. Lee et. al (2014) argue that establishing clear expectations is a critical element of a
positive classroom climate. In addition, Charlotte emphasized her consistency in adhering to the
classroom guidelines to ensure that the students knew exactly what to expect. This is also aligns
with research that shows it is not enough to simply create clear expectations but that it is also
important to consistently enact those expectations (Lee et al., 2014). Finally, Charlotte created an
opportunity for her students to play a role in creating the classroom standards and the
consequences that went along with the. Providing students with the autonomy to participate in
classroom rule making is another element of a positive classroom climate (Yoon & Bauman,
2014).
Another teacher, Harper, indicates her approach to creating a positive classroom climate
when she stated
IMPEDING BULLYING 76
So, when I first start. Let’s say when the school year started this year, first week of
school. The first week of school I didn’t really get into anything that had to do with our
material. My system, I teach social studies, so I don’t do anything with the social studies
book. I go over things and who I am, who the students are. We discuss what expectations
are. What are some things that they would like to do? How they express themselves.
Really their first week is everybody getting to know each other. I have a lot of
cooperative activities that I implement for them. Once my students realize that this is a
communal effort for just one person to be educated. For example, I’m responsible that if
Darrell can’t learn because John is busy making noise. Well somebody needs to say
something before our teacher needs to. Because we’re all in this together. I think when
you’re able to give them that type of sense of comradery that we all sink together or
we’re all going to swim together.
Here, she emphasized the importance of within the first week of school she focused on
not doing anything from an academic perspective, but really embrace the students and who they
were as well as who she was to them. In addition, she used cooperative learning activities while
enlightening her students of her expectations for the classroom. Yoon and Bauman (2014) posit
that highlighting positive social behaviors through cooperative learning activities to ensure that
clear expectations are adhered to is a component of creating a positive classroom climate.
Moreover, Harper aligns with the research which suggests that implementing student
engagement and incorporating discipline are essential components to creating a positive learning
environment that impedes bullying (Yoon & Bauman, 2014). In addition, teacher, Madison
explained that
IMPEDING BULLYING 77
I share with them where they are. I share with them where they could be. I share with
them their positive movement. Sometimes we’ll do a graph of where you were and where
you are and where you want to be. I have reward systems, things like extra reading,
drawing. I figure out what kind of learner you are and what you like, draw when you’re
done or read your own book. Or sometimes I’ll give you a book. Sometimes, I’m not
above treats. I am not above taking an extra recess. I’ve taught the class sitting on the
floor and silent reading. You can lay on the floor and put your feet in a chair or relax, and
I really want you to get into your book. They really look forward to that.
Here, Madison illustrated her approach to producing a positive classroom climate was
through building her students’ confidence in their academic success. She highlighted that she
found out what they liked and she discovered ways to reward them. Cross (2010) asserts that the
quality of the learning environment which includes the confidence of the students plays a major
role in creating a positive classroom climate. Additionally, she provided opportunities for her
students to be engaged such as putting their feet in a chair and relaxing while they focused on
reading a good book. The CDCP (2012) argues that this approach to creating a positive
classroom climate is contributed to having a thriving learning atmosphere that encompasses
students who are confident and engaged in their learning process. Finally, this finding aligns with
the research that suggests that discipline, engaged students, and classroom management are all
factors that influence classroom climates (CDCP, 2012).
Theme 2: Some teachers described their approaches in ways that suggested they
cultivated negative climates that promoted behavior that supported bullying. The second
theme to emerge was that some of the teachers described their approaches that suggested that
they cultivated negative climates that promoted behavior that supports bullying. Two out of the
IMPEDING BULLYING 78
10 teachers reflected elements of a negative classroom climate that could support bullying. Lee
et al. (2014) posits that how students are perceived amongst their peers plays a major role in
impeding bullying in the classroom. A balance of power within the classroom can lead to a
decrease in bullying (Lee et al, 2014). One example of creating a climate that supports bullying
was indicated when Emily explained,
You know, depends upon how serious the infraction is. It’s a simple thing of talking out
of turn, I just say, “You have to wait your turn,” and go to the next one. If it’s more
serious, then I might have to pull that student aside and quickly let them know that this is
not appropriate. Sometimes it may mean a time out. Bobby has to sit here and be quiet for
5 or 6 minutes. He can’t participate in something for a bit of time. A very serious
infraction, of course, would require that he might have to see the assistant principal.
In this example, Emily highlighted the different levels of consequences that students have
experienced within her classroom, which suggested that she had all of the power and the research
suggests that an imbalance of power was present does not lead to creating a positive classroom
climate. Moreover, it can lead to bullying within the learning atmosphere.
Similarly, Amelia’s response to how she addresses a student that does not demonstrate
respect for another student, she shared,
Well, I list my expectations for the classroom, and I will refer to one of the expectations
that we have for our classroom and for our learning environment. In that reference to that,
I will say that we talked about this in the beginning of the school year, and I still expect
respect for each other in the classroom. That has not changed. If you feel that you want to
change it, then you can make an appointment with me and we can discuss it. That’s
usually what I say.
IMPEDING BULLYING 79
Here, Amelia exhibited a response that embarrassed and singled the student out which
suggested a lack of positive teacher-student relationship. Moreover, Amelia’s inability to address
the student in a respectful manner created a negative rapport with that student and was a poor
example of classroom management for the rest of the class to witness. In addition, Yoon et al.
posits that teachers’ skills in managing the behavior of their classrooms is one of the greatest
strategic plans for bullying prevention. Therefore, Amelia’s decision to embarrass the student
does not align with the research to producing positive learning atmospheres that negate bullying.
Research question two asked, “How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with
the school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom
climates that impede bullying?” A thorough investigation was completed in the data analysis
process of the examined 10 qualitative interviews. The finding to this question was that the
cultures of the schools were aligned with or diverged from the strategies that the teachers chose
in creating a positive classroom climate that impeded bullying. Themes were absent from this
finding and therefore not validated.
Research question two asked, “How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the
school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that
impede bullying?” The data exhibited from the qualitative interviews of 10 educators revealed that
they had various experiences with having or lacked professional development that focused on
bullying. In addition, they specified their knowledge of bullying which is a component to
creating positive classroom climates. One finding emerged from this answer and was convoyed
by two themes, which aligned with the influences of knowledge and motivation. The two themes
emphasized in this finding were as follows: 1) Three of the 10 teachers attributed their
knowledge of bullying to professional development that they had received at some point in their
IMPEDING BULLYING 80
teaching experience. 2) Seven of the 10 teachers shared that although they knew about bullying it
was not because of professional development.
Finding 1: The Teachers Revealed that They had Various Experiences with Having or
Lacking Professional Development on Bullying.
The teachers identified their professional development experiences that were beneficial to
them creating a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. Meador (2016) asserts that
training on bullying is an essential component to addressing the issue. Moreover, Migliaccio
(2015) posits that building positive teacher-student relationships contributes to students having
positive peer relationships which is a component in creating a positive classroom climate. While
in the first question, the teachers identified the components to creating or producing a positive
classroom climate, the second question depicts the teachers’ experiences with the organization
and the support or lack thereof. The interaction between the school/district support and the
teachers’ knowledge to create a positive learning atmosphere through the access of professional
development incorporates the cultural context and climate in which they operate.
Theme 1: Three of the 10 teachers attributed their knowledge of bullying to
professional development that they had received at some point in their teaching experience.
The first theme to emerge in relation to this finding was that three of the 10 teachers
attributed their knowledge of bullying to professional development that they had received in their
teaching experience. For example, Ava spoke about her professional development experience by
saying,
I’ve gone to teacher workshops dealing with bullying and what I learned from that is,
usually, a person that is a bully is a person that probably, somewhere in their childhood
has been bullied themselves. Also, it may be a person that’s very, very, insecure and
IMPEDING BULLYING 81
because big brother picks on him, or big sister picks on her and beats her up at home, and
Mom never catches it or Dad never catches it because if she tells then her bigger sister is
going to hurt her more. Then that small sister may take that approach and become a bully.
Here, Ava indicated that the workshop provided her with insight on bullying and that
students did not turn into bullies without a reason. She suggested that bullying was deeply rooted
and could very well begin at home when no one was watching.
Similarly, Isabella explains her professional development experience by saying,
Well, yeah, I’m gonna make mention of “Love and Logic.” I just really feel that that it
addresses all aspects. I think as a, I mean, we did a regular workshop through school, and
I have found it to be helpful but “Love and Logic” just totally rang true with me. It comes
from the standpoint that teachers can bully kids, kids can bully teachers, and kids bully
each other. I really feel the skills that I learned in that class nailed it for me. It helped me
as a parent, it helped me as a teacher, it helped build relationships with my students. I just
feel like it was the best thing I did in teaching.
Here, Isabella indicated that her professional development training on “Love and Logic”
really impacted her perception of teaching and how she saw bullying. Additionally, she
suggested that the program helped her to build relationships with her students. Isabella also
indicated that having a regular workshop which suggests that it happened more than one time
provided her with the knowledge and skills that she needed to create a positive learning
environment that impedes bullying. Moreover, the research says that by having training on
bullying equips teachers with the knowledge and skills that are essential to creating a positive
classroom climate that impedes bullying (Meador, 2016). Furthermore, Isabella painted a picture
of how her training contributes to her classroom by saying,
IMPEDING BULLYING 82
So, the very first thing that “Love and Logic” talks about is, you have to build a rapport
with the students, and when you have a large class, it’s difficult to connect. Sometimes
it’s ... my way of doing that is being outside the door before class starts, saying
something to them every day. ... as you practice this every single day, you find something
that you connect with them on, whether it’s, you give them a fist bump, or it’s “Oh, I
noticed you got your hair cut,” or, “I like your new shoes!” Or it’s, “How was your game
last night? What was your score?” You show interest in them and they buy into the fact
that you really do have ownership in how they’re going to, if they behave accordingly.
They’re going give you more if you show that you care. Building that rapport is the
absolute number one main way I feel like I’m able to get through with the least amount of
problems.
Isabella, suggested that this program on bullying has given her a way in which to connect
to her students negating the fact of the large class size. The professional development had
impacted the way she built rapport with her students because she recognized the importance of
getting to know them which inspired her continued growth in knowledge and skills to create a
positive learning environment. Moreover, the research confirms that the development of positive
teacher-student relationships is closely associated to positive interactions of students with their
peers (Yoon et al., 2014). Another teacher, Mia shared her professional development with
bullying by stating that,
Okay. I think probably in recent years, the strongest impact that the professional
development was to make me aware of technological issues with cyber bullying. I think
the way you can see that is that I would be more aware of what kids were doing on their
IMPEDING BULLYING 83
mobile devices, and what they were sending to each other, and that type of thing. I think
awareness of technological issues is a big thing.
Mia, expressed that what she experienced impacted her knowledge of one form of
bullying that utilized technology. Moreover, she suggested her awareness of cyberbullying as an
issue provided her with more insight into possible issues that might come from her students’
access of mobile phones. This example aligns with the research that highlights that teachers’
awareness of bullying aides them in creating a positive learning environment that negates
bullying from happening. Konishi et al. (2010) posit that teachers lack awareness of bullying
within the classroom. Therefore, Mia’s professional development experience was beneficial by
shifting her thinking in the way she saw her students when they were on their mobile devices.
Furthermore, the three teachers painted pictures of how having professional development played
a role in developing their knowledge and skills in creating a learning atmosphere that impedes
bullying. In addition, Meador (2016) asserted that is imperative to acquire the necessary
knowledge and skills through professional development which equips teachers to create positive
classroom climates that impede bullying.
While professional development is an essential component to providing knowledge and
skills on bullying from the organization which is a form of interaction with the teachers to
support them in creating a positive learning atmosphere, there were seven of the 10 teachers that
lacked professional development on bullying and shared those experiences.
Theme 2: Seven of the 10 teachers shared that although they knew about bullying it
was not because of professional development. The second theme that emerged from the
finding was that teachers described that although they had knowledge about bullying, the
knowledge did not come from professional developments on bullying. Seven out of the 10
IMPEDING BULLYING 84
teachers shared that they knew about bullying but it was not due to having professional
development on the topic. For example, Charlotte explained by saying,
You know, unfortunately most of my professional development is through online courses
that the teachers are required to take at the beginning of the school year. Most of it has
been like maybe certain scenarios where it might be deemed as bullying and what you do.
Basically, it talks about the chain of reporting. If a kid tells me something that they feel
their bullied or intimidated you have to listen to the child and I have to then, by law, have
to report to an administrator and then the administrator has to do something and on down
the line. No real form of training at least not in recent years other than the online training.
Here, Charlotte indicated that her professional development on bullying had been really
limited to reporting guidelines in the case of students filing complaints. Moreover, she suggested
that she has not had training on bullying that she could reference in sharing this experience. This
example aligned with the research on the cultural climate of on an organization reflects how
things are often done (Schneider et al., 1996). Furthermore, the knowledge that is gained from
professional development is imperative and must be acquired to combat the issue of bullying
(Meador, 2016).
Similarly, Abigail shares, “Well ... I think there were two summer courses that ... Were
offered under school system. And, I didn't really learn anything that would help me.” She
indicated that although professional development was offered during the summer, she could not
recount anything that was helpful to her about bullying. Moreover, the research states that the
issue of bullying has to be addressed over time which suggested ongoing professional
development needs to be in place to have an impact on the teachers and the school community
(Meador, 2016).
IMPEDING BULLYING 85
Another example of an experience that lacked professional development was Harper’s
experience and she said, “I’ve never had any professional development for bullying. So, I
couldn’t tell you what I learned from it or anything else.” Harper, suggested that there is a lack of
organizational support of knowledge and skills for teachers who embraced elements of having a
positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. Moreover, she indicated in this statement that
the professional development on bullying is not reoccurring because she couldn’t reference one
to even share. The research aligns with this example because most teachers do not have training
on bullying but it is a necessity to create a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying
(Meador, 2016).
Similarly, teacher, Madison shared by saying,
Cyber bullying is a form of bullying. I’ve had classroom books to read, I’ve had online
info. and just, you know, talks from law enforcement, those kinds of things. And I’ve
learned that it’s real, that it’s serious, that the suicide rate is high because of it, and that
we really need to pay close attention and nip it in the bud.
She suggested that although she was knowledgeable on cyberbullying, she indicated that
she provided her own approaches to spreading the information that aide her in creating a positive
learning environment. Moreover, the lack of evidence and support of having professional
development on bullying highlighted the cultural setting of the school organization (Schneider et
al., 1996). Furthermore, Schneider et al. (1996) assert that the goals and operation of an
organization reflects its cultural climate and model response. Overall, these examples are aligned
with the research that conveys the cultural climate and setting reflect the organizational response
to creating positive classroom climates that impede bullying. Additionally, Clark and Estes
(2008) posit that cultural settings are the ways in which people operate within an organization.
IMPEDING BULLYING 86
Conclusion
The chapter discussed the investigated research study of gaining an in-depth
understanding of the teachers’ perception of impeding bullying in the middle school classroom.
Ten middle school teachers were interviewed who taught sixth through eighth grade in public
schools in one district. Additionally, the chapter depicts the data obtained during the qualitative
interviews. The data collected provided the answer to two selected research questions. Research
question one asked, “What is the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to producing
positive classroom climates that impede bullying?” The data shown from the qualitative
interviews of 10 educators revealed that they had various understandings about the components
that function to create a positive classroom climate that impedes bullying. In addition, they
specified similar ideas about positive climate elements and included explanations about their
own strategies to creating one which exhibited a differentiated approach or lack in impeding
bullying. Two findings were uncovered from the answer and encompassed five themes, which
aligned with the influences of knowledge and motivation. It was evident that creating a positive
classroom climate is essential to impeding bullying within the learning environment. While,
bullying remains an issue in schools across the country, a step in combating the issue is to
understand the perception of teachers which is often overlooked (Migliaccio, 2015). The three
themes highlighted in the first finding were as followed: 1) All 10 of the teachers expressed that
having a safe and comfortable environment was an essential component of a positive classroom
climate, 2) Care was another element (although care was not defined the same way by all
teachers. Some described aesthetic care (only cared about their academic success). Others
described authentic and aesthetic care where they cared about the “whole child,” the child’s
inside and outside of school life, and 3) The educators agreed that clear expectations (behavioral,
IMPEDING BULLYING 87
not necessarily academic) was an essential element of a positive climate. In the second finding
two themes were uncovered and were as followed: 1) There were some components named by
only those who cultivated a positive climate and 2) Some teachers described their approaches in
ways that suggested they cultivated negative climates that promoted behavior that supports
bullying.
Research question two asked, “How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the
school/district culture and context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that
impede bullying? The data exhibited from the qualitative interviews of 10 educators revealed that
they had various experiences with having or lacked professional development that focused on
bullying. In addition, they specified their knowledge of bullying which is a component to
creating positive classroom climates. One finding emerged from this answer and was convoyed
by two themes, which aligned with the influences of knowledge and motivation. The two themes
emphasized in this finding were as follows: 1) Three of the 10 teachers attributed their
knowledge of bullying to professional development that they had received at some point in their
teaching experience. 2) Seven of the 10 teachers shared that although they knew about bullying it
was not because of professional development. The implications and recommendations for future
research are discussed in Chapter Five.
IMPEDING BULLYING 88
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Bullying continues to capture the attention of school districts across the country
(American Society for the Positive Care of Children, 2016). The National Center for Educational
Statistics (2016) state that every school district has a challenge with bullying. The American
SPPC (2016) argues that school is the primary place that bullying happens. On average, in more
than 30 states, students reveal their fear for safety in their desire to not attend school (American
SPPC, 2016). Prior researchers have identified results of bullying behavior to have traumatic
impacts on adolescents who show disparities in their overall psychological, emotional, and
physical well-being (Magliano, 2013). Bullying is a social problem that is a detriment to the
education of students (Yoon et al., 2014). Moreover, teachers play a major role in reducing
bullying in the classroom (Migliaccio, 2015). The findings and themes from this study provide
insight into the perceptions of 10 middle school teachers and how their knowledge and
motivation contributed to their approach in creating positive classroom climates to impede
bullying.
Executive Summary of the Findings Question 1
Through a qualitative research approach, the study uncovered the knowledge and
motivation of middle school teachers through the utilization of qualitative interviews that were
semi-structured and captured their perceptions of how they produced positive classroom climates
and support behavior success in their classrooms. A thorough data analysis was conducted that
resulted in two findings and five themes that contributed to answering the research question one,
which was “What is the teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to producing positive
classroom climates that impede bullying?” The data from the 10 educators revealed that they had
various understandings about the components that functioned to create a positive classroom
IMPEDING BULLYING 89
climate that impedes negative student behavior. In addition, they specified similar ideas about
positive climate elements and included explanations about their own strategies to creating one
that exhibited a differentiated approach or lack in impeding bullying. Therefore, the contribution
of the teachers’ perceptions was an initial step in combatting the issue of bullying within the
classroom setting. Migliaccio (2015) posits that the teachers’ perception of impeding bullying is
an important factor to stopping it from happening.
Executive Summary of the Findings Question 2
The data revealed that cultural models and settings are reflect the ways in which the
school organization operated (Clark & Estes, 2008). Moreover, the data uncovered that having
professional development on bullying in place provided the knowledge and skills needed which
contributed to creating a positive classroom climate that combatted the issue of bullying
(Meador, 2016). One finding accompanied two themes that emerged to answer the second
research question. The cultural models and settings of the school organizations does not reflect a
supportive atmosphere in which the teachers have professional development on bullying which
can aide them in creating a positive learning atmosphere that negates bullying in the classroom.
Therefore, the interaction between the teachers’ knowledge and the support of the school
organizations contribute to producing positive classroom climates that impede bullying and in
the policy section a program was recommended.
Implications and Recommendations
For Practice
The findings from this study suggest that teachers have a general understanding of the
elements of positive classroom climates and believe that they implement them in their classroom.
IMPEDING BULLYING 90
The essential elements identified by teachers were as follows: safe and comfortable learning
environment, caring atmosphere, clear expectations, and engaged students.
A safe and comfortable learning environment. One of the implications that emerged
from the findings was the teachers’ desire to create a safe and comfortable learning environment
for their students. Teachers in this study understood that a safe and comfortable learning
environment was necessary for their students to learn and experience behavioral success. Thus, it
is not the case that teachers do not know what is necessary. It may be that teachers know (have
conceptual knowledge) but do not have as much insight into how to create a safe environment.
Having teachers who demonstrate that they have created safe and comfortable learning
environments model for their peers or coach their peers would lead to others being able to
translate what they believe is important into action in their classroom. Therefore, the
recommendation is for the teachers that exhibit self-efficacy in this area of expertise model for
their peers utilizing their conceptual and procedural knowledge to accomplish the goal of
creating a safe and comfortable learning atmosphere that impedes bullying.
Teachers must communicate that bullying is a shared challenge among adolescents
(Frisén, Jonsson, & Persson, 2007). Schoen and Schoen (2010), assert that there are common
elements in various definitions of the act of bullying such as having intentions to hurt, ongoing,
unfair advantage, and attempting to gain power, which is imperative for educators to know in
setting the climate in the classrooms. Teachers must be able to explain that bullying is intended
to hurt, mistreat, or belittle a person constantly (Schoen & Schoen, 2010). Clark and Estes (2008)
state that having the job aid or right information to maximize the approach to the goal is a recipe
for accomplishing the goal on one’s own. Schoen and Schoen (2010) affirm that bullying is
identified as a violent act that happens repeatedly. Teachers need to share this repeated
IMPEDING BULLYING 91
aggression concept because it will help them in conveying what bullying looks like to all
students. Educators must emphasize that everyone has differences and teach them to celebrate
those differences. Schoen and Schoen (2010) offer that when perpetrators of bullying recognize
that there are differences amongst their peers they tend to bully at the onset of discovery.
Therefore, the recommendation is that teachers must emphasize the celebration of differences to
disable the mindset of bullying others because they are different. Additionally, teachers need to
communicate to their colleagues that creating safe and comfortable learning environments is one
way in addressing the bullying epidemic.
Caring atmosphere. As referred to earlier, another element in creating a positive
classroom climate that emerged in the findings was having a caring atmosphere. Teachers in this
study demonstrated that they had the conceptual knowledge and self-efficacy to exhibit care
toward their students. More specifically, two of the teachers who were interviewed exhibited
authentic and aesthetic care. They went above and beyond just caring for the students to obtain
their academic goals. They chose to take time to care for their students as real people and talk to
them their happening outside of the classroom (Valenzuela, 1999). Leff et al. (2011) confirm that
research has shown positive peer and social relationships are closely associated with having
strong, supportive teacher-student relationships in the classroom. Teachers need to identify the
steps that would create activities to show authentic care to develop positive relationships. Leff
et. al (2011) posit that positive teacher-student relationships have an impact and can serve as a
barrier against issues with behavior. Behavior can be affected by changes to the environment
(Daly, 2009; Tuckman, 2009). As previously stated, job aids are essential to new adding a new
approach without more training. This suggests that by utilizing job aids such as concept maps
that exhibit specific social skills that are a clear reflection of the strong teacher-student
IMPEDING BULLYING 92
relationship provides an authentic example for the students to relate to. For example, the concept
maps can display strategies for interacting with people who are different from each other, sharing
kind words, and getting to know someone new, which will help to equip students with what they
need to acquire the desired behavior. Therefore, the recommendation for acquiring activities that
exhibit authentic experiences that support positive development of social interaction are the
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program or the Second Step Program which would possibly aid the
teachers in accomplishing the goal of exhibiting positive authentic experiences for their students.
The first program, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, is a prevention program
designed to negate bullying in the schools (Olweus,1993). Olweus (1993), affirms that after a
couple of years of implementing the program, the schools saw a reduction in the rates of
bullying. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program had received international recognition for its
success (Olweus, 1993). Additionally, the second researched based program that stands firmly on
bullying prevention is called the Second Step Program The second program, Schoen and Schoen
(2010), argues that it is a researched program that takes a serious stand on bullying prevention
known as the Second Step Program. This program places an emphasis on preventing violence by
focusing on building social skills (Schoen & Schoen, 2010). Schoen and Schoen (2010), affirm
that within the first year of implementation social confidence had increased with the student
population and anti-social behavior had decreased amongst the students. These programs are
research supported and are effective toward the prevention of bullying (Schoen & Schoen, 2010).
Additionally, both programs would provide a job aid in the form of a visual organizer to equip
the students with the support that they need to change their social behavior.
The stakeholders must acquire job aids that exhibit approaches that will best provide
students within the classrooms authentic opportunities to address issues to prevent bullying.
IMPEDING BULLYING 93
Teachers must be willing to acquire the necessary to create a positive classroom setting which is
an essential component in the prevention of bullying. Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2015),
argues that data must be examined to see how big bullying has become before prevention can
begin. Teachers must identify and minimize the risks in a classroom environment. According to
the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2015), after the data has been gathered to show what the
risks are then the quest begins on the development of bullying prevention. Therefore, the
recommendation is to have a proactive response to bullying which would cause more schools to
explore programs of prevention. Harris and Hathorn (2006), assert that increased efforts have
been dedicated to finding preventative solutions.
Clear expectations. One of the implications of the findings was having clear
expectations, which aligned with creating a positive classroom climate. Teachers must be able to
identify clear expectations which contribute to creating a positive learning environment that
impedes bullying. Daly (2009) posits that reinforced behavior is strengthened. Moreover, the
incorporation of job aids with clear and succinct expectations that must be learned will aid in
reaching the desired goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes (2008) posit that a job aid is a
step by step guide on achieving the desired goal. This strategy suggests that when a learning
process is reinforced through job aids with speaking activities and role playing while utilizing the
clear expectations, the desired behavior is strengthened. Therefore, the recommendation is for
educators to reinforce the learning process by using job aids as visual organizers to support the
learning process of clear expectations which is aligned with creating a positive learning
atmosphere.
The psychological effects of bullying are long term and can result in suicide. The
stakeholders’ willingness to set distinct and succinct expectations plays a prominent role in the
IMPEDING BULLYING 94
prevention of bullying by creating a positive learning environment. Therefore, educators must
identify clear standards in the beginning of the school year with the students which provides
them with a sense of accountability. Moreover, educators must have consistency in following
through on expected standards which creates confidence with the students in knowing and
understanding the consequences to their actions. Teachers are contributors to addressing these
expectations or rules with consistency because they are setting the climate and culture of their
classrooms to impede bullying. Harris and Hawthorn (2006) and; Levin and Madifis (2009);
states that it becomes more of a challenge to set consequences when teachers respond to bullying
as general behavior and disregard ongoing peer aggression. However, with the teachers’
consistent approach of setting clear guidelines at the onset of the school year aides in clarifying
consequences to all negative behavior in the classroom. The learning environment is not only a
central place for students to achieve academic success, but it is also a vital place for social
development guided by teachers. It is recommended that the teachers take a proactive approach
in setting a positive atmosphere where clear expectations, student engagement, and positive
social development experiences are taking place. The school community leaders must take a
proactive approach with the system by setting an example of the change that they desire to see
(Harris & Hathorn, 2006; Levin & Madfis, 2009).
Students engaged. Student engagement emerged from the finding as a contributor to
creating a positive classroom climate. The educators’ goals must be to provide authentic lessons
that will motivate the students to be engaged which negates bullying in the middle school
classroom. Teachers must share ways to implement these activities. For example, providing
cooperative activities to motivate students to interact with their classmates through creativity,
problem solving, and evaluating. Student engagement is a factor in which researchers highlight
IMPEDING BULLYING 95
as a component in creating a positive atmosphere where students can learn. Highlighting
contributions of student engagement will aide teachers with implementing new ideas to foster the
goal of impeding students’ disruptive behaviors which lead to bullying. Therefore, the
recommendation for teachers can engage students in the classroom by utilizing the Stand Tall
Anti-Bullying Program supports an effort in taking steps toward prevention, in which teachers
will be adequately prepared with student engagement strategies and equipped for dealing with all
bullying situations. Meador (2016) posits that the lack of proper training for teachers and staff
will delay any anti-bullying program from proving to be effective. The Stand Tall program will
encompass the following components, which are going to be essential for preparing all teachers
with knowledge and strategies to negate bullying by creating a positive classroom climate, they
include 1) ensured proactivity is a must in handling any bullying situation; 2) all of the teachers
must have knowledge of the identification of bullying; 3) teachers and staff must know the signs
of a victim and victim assistance 4) teachers and staff must have knowledge determining those
bullying and have intervention knowledge to prevent them from them doing harm; and 5) make
sure that all of teachers and staff have exact knowledge of dealing with a bullying situation after
its occurrence. Therefore, it is recommended to obtain training with this program to develop an
anti-bullying culture and climate within the classroom. Meador (2016) posits that an anti-
bullying movement uses visual representation everywhere to promote the vision of impeding
bullying in the classroom.
For Policy
The findings from the qualitative research study highlighted one recommendation for
policy at the local level. The Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Program is a movement in which the
whole school is involved. The program would showcase the school bullying policy, the adopted
IMPEDING BULLYING 96
anti-bullying program, keys to stopping bullying, materials readily available to everyone that
needs more guidance on what bullying is or its impact, and every school community member
should sign this anti-bullying agreement at the start of each school year. The featured addition to
the anti-bullying policy would be the signed contract that would be given to the whole school
community which would include students, faculty and staff, administrators, and parents. The
signed contract which would be aligned with the school bullying policy that is in place and be
simple to understand. Meador (2016) asserts that in addition to signing a simple contract, new
students should become acclimated to the anti-bullying program during their first few weeks of
school. The Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Program would be ongoing throughout the school year to
maintain good levels of consistency and momentum for bullying prevention.
It is recommended that the Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Program be added to the school
district’s anti-bullying movement for the following reasons. The program is comprehensive and
provides students with the necessary social skills development that will equip them with what
they need to aide them in making positive social choices that negate bullying. In addition to
unpacking my reasoning for this selection, it was important to remember how it ranked against
the other alternative approach programs. This program was the most inexpensive program out of
all three approaches that were examined prior to the recommendation. Based on the success and
individual preference of this program the estimated cost utility was 60 which means that the
overall cost to implement the program was a reasonable expenditure within the school or district.
The Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Program provides an opportunity for educators to rethink the
possibilities of motivating their students by providing ways to respond to negative and hurtful
behavior (Peck, 2012). Konishi et al. (2010) indicate that teachers are rarely aware of bullying
within their classroom environments. Peck (2012) asserts that when students are upset about
IMPEDING BULLYING 97
being bullied they have a difficult time concentrating on learning. The Stand Tall Anti-Bullying
Program is geared toward middle schools and it embraces three key concepts that are vitally
important, which include individual respect when it comes to being different, class discussions,
and provides action steps toward changing the school culture, which is a necessity in addressing
the issue of bullying (Meador, 2016). Teaching respect for individual differences; having
classroom discussions; and practicing actions that transform the behavior of all students are the
core competencies of the Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Program. This program includes training for
the teachers, which is an essential component of bullying prevention in the classroom setting.
One of the highlighted modules in the program include experts such as legal representatives and
counselors who are involved in sharing guidance for the teachers to aide them in addressing
bullying situations. Advice on preventing harassment; clarifying the relevancy of laws;
educational guidance from the Department of Education is also provided throughout the Stand
Tall program. These are the encompassing provisional resources for teachers to gain the
knowledge and skills on the identification of bullying and how to take measures of impeding it
within the classroom setting. The program provides teacher manuals, downloadable posters, class
activities, and there is available access to videos online to further engage students in learning.
Having this program in place showed a reduction of negative social interaction within the first
year of implementation (Peck, 2012). The Stand Tall program has many components to it that
can benefit the whole school and district. For example, having bullying contracts that both
students’ and parents’ signature are required at the beginning of the school year which creates
student and parent accountability which intentionally raises student and parent consciousness on
bullying. Peck (2012) asserts that the implementation of the Stand Tall program resulted in
IMPEDING BULLYING 98
having a powerful impact on educators and aides them in setting a positive learning environment
in which students feel respected and safe.
Figure 2. The Fundamental Logic of Training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
In figure 3 the goal is for 100 percent of all educators within the school to participate in the
Stand Tall Anti-Bullying Training. The goal of obtaining100 percent effectiveness with actions
and behaviors is having educators share one procedure on a quarterly basis that they have
implemented within their classroom setting. The procedure selected as a grade level team will be
shared with the faculty and staff at the monthly meeting. The implementation result goal is 100
percent of classes having a poster of the anti-bullying strategies posted. This evaluative method
would be put in place to create a culture within the school environment that makes a statement that
educators are taking a position and implementing the training, which also exhibits the message
that they care about their students. Please reference figure 3 to see the method of progress.
Suggestions for Future Research
Bullying is still a wide spread issue in every school district in the United States (Meador,
2016). Although, the highlighted perceptions of teachers are essential to addressing the issue of
bullying in the classroom environment, there are more perspective angles that were not addressed
in obtaining the goal to negate the problem of practice. This study focused “neutrally” on the
elements of creating a positive classroom climate. However, the large literature base on bullying
does share the fact that students are bullied based on race, gender, disability, and language status.
IMPEDING BULLYING 99
Therefore, it is recommended that future research proceed to uncover how race, gender,
disability, and language status play a role in bullying and possibly examining the teachers’
perceptions of how to impede these concepts of bullying. Moreover, at the onset of the
investigation had two research questions and although the interview protocol was aligned with
the conceptual framework the resulting data answered the first research question in more detail,
therefore the second research question which focused on the professional development of
bullying and the lack of training on bullying that was provided to teachers. In addition, these
teachers acquired information on bullying through the media, online, or books that conveyed the
evident message that bullying is a problem. Unfortunately, the teachers did not articulate the
barriers in relation to acquiring professional development on bullying and therefore it is
recommended as future research which may answer the question of why teachers are not
provided with the adequate support needed to empower them with the knowledge skills on
bullying and how to address the issue effectively. Another, aspect of bullying to research is how
the teachers are impacted by the students and possible solutions for implementing positive
teacher-student relationships in which researchers suggests are associated with positive social
interactions that inspire students to have positive peer relationships (Migliaccio, 2015).
Conclusion
Teachers play a major role in the lives of students and by creating a positive classroom
climate, they are impeding bullying. Bullying is an issue that interrupts the students’ educational
learning environment in which authentic experiences are missed to avoid this problem of
practice. Moreover, teachers are often overlooked in helping to address this behavioral issue.
Furthermore, teachers in the study shared their knowledge and motivation for creating positive
classroom climates that impede bullying. Although, this research study highlighted the teachers’
IMPEDING BULLYING 100
knowledge and motivational strategies for providing a safe and comfortable learning atmosphere
coupled with care and clear expectations that are enacted with consistency to create a positive
classroom climate, the research is not final. Therefore, examining the future recommendations
featured in the research paragraph will continue a work that is necessary to saving the lives.
IMPEDING BULLYING 101
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IMPEDING BULLYING 108
APPENDIX A
Recruitment Script
Dear Principal,
My name is Tyline M. Hood and I am a doctoral candidate with a focus in Organizational
Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California. My dissertation focuses on the
way teachers cultivate prosocial behavior with students in a middle school classroom. The
purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how classroom climate fosters positive
student-to-student interactions and impedes bullying.
I am seeking middle schools that will allow me to interview sixth through eighth grade teachers.
If you are willing to allow me to interview teachers in your school, I will be inviting participants
who currently teach sixth through eighth grade general education classes. The interviews will
take approximately 50 minutes per participant. The participants will be given pseudonyms to
replace their names (i.e., Participant 1, Participant 2 etc.). This will be done for the
confidentiality of all participants. I will conduct my interviews at the convenience of the teachers
and will not interfere with the teachers’ instructional obligations.
I hope you will consider participating. If you would like more information or have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me via email: tylinemhood@gmail.com or phone: 216-409-
7608.
Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.
Tyline M. Hood
IMPEDING BULLYING 109
APPENDIX B
Interview Protocol
Four qualitative semi-structured 50 minute interviews will be conducted. There will be
one interview per teacher completed. The interview questions are preset below, but I will allow
room for probing throughout each one. The interviews will be completed in person and will be
tape recorded. The recordings will be transcribed. Below are the questions for the interview that
will answer the research questions.
Interview Questions
RQ: What is the teachers' knowledge and motivation related to producing positive classroom
climates that impede bullying?
RQ: How do teachers’ knowledge and motivation interact with the school/district culture and
context to shape their willingness to create positive classroom climates that impede bullying?
1. What do you believe the climate of the classroom should be like?
2. What are the things that you want to be true in your classroom?
3. What steps do you take in creating a positive classroom setting?
4. What do you expect of your students?
5. What do you expect of yourself?
6. How do you expect them to behave towards each other?
7. What are your academic expectations for your students?
8. How do you go about getting your students to meet your behavioral expectations?
9. How do you go about getting them to achieve your academic expectations?
IMPEDING BULLYING 110
10. Think back to a recent day, describe it for me. What would you highlight as evidence of
the way you expect your students to behave?
11. What do you do when a student does not follow the rules that you have set?
12. Think of a recent experience where a student didn’t follow one of your rules. Tell me
about it. What happened? What did the student do? What did you do?
13. What do you do when you see a student behave in a way that seems aggressive?
14. Have you had this experience in your classroom? Tell me about it.
15. Have you seen a student be aggressive in the classroom? Describe that to me. What
happened? When a student does something mean in the classroom, what happens?
16. What do you do when a student does not demonstrate respect for another student?
17. What happens when a student does not meet your expectations?
18. Think of a recent example where a student did not meet your expectations. Tell me about
it.
19. What do you do when a student says something you find offensive?
20. Think of a time when that happened. Describe it to me. What did you say? What did the
student say? What did you say?
21. How do you organize your students during class time?
22. What types of activities do you have your students engage in?
23. When your students work in groups, if they do, what do you expect of them?
24. When you notice a student who is not having an easy time “fitting in,” what, if anything,
do you do?
25. What are some signs of bullying?
26. What do you do when a student engages in behavior that you think is bullying?
IMPEDING BULLYING 111
27. Describe an experience you have had with a student who you think was bullying another
kid.
28. What do you and your students talk about?
29. What kinds of professional development have you had that is related to bullying? Tell me
about it. What, if anything, did you learn?
30. How would I see examples of what you learned in the way you interact with your
students?
31. Tell me about the kinds of conversations you have at faculty meetings about students who
bully. Think of one and describe it to me.
IMPEDING BULLYING 112
APPENDIX C
Informed Consent/Information Sheet
University of Southern California
(Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089)
UNDERSTANDING THE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF IMPEDING BULLYING IN
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Tyline M. Hood, Doctoral
Candidate, under the supervision of the Faculty Advisor, Julie Slayton, PhD., at the University of
Southern California. You meet the criteria of the study which includes being a middle school
educator who currently teaches sixth through eighth grade general education in your own
classroom. Your participation is voluntary. You should read the information below, and ask
questions about anything you do not understand, before deciding whether to participate. Please
take as much time as you need to read the consent form. You may also decide to discuss
participation with your family or friends. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to sign this
form. You will be given a copy of this form.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
IMPEDING BULLYING 113
The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the teachers’ perceptions of
impeding bullying in the middle school classroom. The study will examine the teachers’
knowledge and motivation to create positive classroom climates to impede bullying.
STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will participate in an audiotaped interview that
will last between 45-60 minutes. Pseudo names will be given for your protection. The interview
protocol will have a compilation of semi-structured questions guided by the conceptual
framework.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
Pseudo names will be given to all participants to ensure confidentiality. The information
being shared in the interviews will be helping to address issue of bullying. Therefore, there
are no anticipated risks.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
You are a part of a research study that is addressing the wide spread issue of bullying. The
anticipated results will help teachers address the issue of bullying in their classrooms by
creating positive learning atmospheres to prevent bullying from happening. When classroom
climates are established that impede bullying, provide more opportunities for students to
make positive social behavior choices and ultimately reach their goals in becoming
productive citizens in society.
IMPEDING BULLYING 114
CONFIDENTIALITY
Your responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym) for your confidentiality.
The data will be stored with principal investigator, Tyline M. Hood on a private owned
password protected laptop computer for three years after the study has been completed and
then destroyed or data may be kept indefinitely.
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we
are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about you. The members
of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects Protection
Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies to protect
the rights and welfare of research subjects.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies
because of your participation in this research study.
INVESTIGATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Principal
Investigator, Tyline M. Hood, via email or phone at thood@usc.edu or 216-409-7608.
IMPEDING BULLYING 115
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Hood, Tyline M.
(author)
Core Title
Understanding the teachers' perception of impeding bullying in the middle school classroom
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Publication Date
09/25/2017
Defense Date
08/22/2017
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
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Tag
bullying,challenge in education,middle school,OAI-PMH Harvest,problem facing adolescents,teachers' perception
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Slayton, Julie (
committee chair
), Datta, Monique (
committee member
), Green, Alan (
committee member
)
Creator Email
thood@usc.edu,tylinemhood@gmail.com
Permanent Link (DOI)
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433209
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Tags
bullying
challenge in education
problem facing adolescents
teachers' perception