Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education

Advisor

Amy McNally

Committee Member

James Miller

Keywords

academic achievement, classroom environment, classroom techniques, teaching methods

Abstract

This dissertation was designed to examine the fidelity level of implementation of Conversation-Help-Activity-Movement-Participation-Success (CHAMPS) classroom management strategies designed to reduce students’ behavior problems and boost academic performance at a large Title I elementary school in the southeastern United States. The participants included 10 teachers with experience teaching Grades 3 to 5 who had 3 years of experience implementing the CHAMPS classroom-management plan.

The researcher implemented bracketing, intuition, open-ended coding, and Axial coding to examine the implementation of the CHAMPS classroom-management plan in reducing behavior problems and boosting academic performance. The evaluation intended to address the central research question: How is the CHAMPS program being implemented with fidelity to reduce students’ behavior problems and enhance their academic performance? The evaluation aimed to address the following supporting questions: What are the perceptions of teachers regarding the utilization of a structured classroom for students’ success? What did teachers who are implementing the CHAMPS program report regarding observed changes in their students’ discipline? What are the perceptions of teachers on barriers that hinder the full implementation of CHAMPS classroom management strategies? The research methodology involved an analysis of the teachers’ responses gathered during an interview developed by the researcher on the implementation of CHAMPS and an analysis of the ratings from the CHAMPS fidelity checklist developed by the school district.

As a result, the data collected from the research site established that the relationship between communicating CHAMPS expectations and program success in a classroom environment indicated that classroom management generally led to the improvement of students’ behavior and academic performance. The teachers who participated in the interview responded positively about the benefits of implementing the CHAMPS classroom-management plan in the classroom.

Overall, the data collected during the classroom observations conveyed that the teachers implemented the CHAMPS classroom-management plan with fidelity. Even though the program improved the students’ behavior in the classroom, they also had challenges that conflicted with instructional time. The teachers were responsible for reviewing the CHAMPS classroom management plan daily with students.

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