Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Patricia N. Anderson
Abstract
AbstractThe problem that was the focus of this study was the high rate of suspensions and expulsions of preschool children enrolled in independently funded childcare centers in Texas, and the lack of understanding of preschool teachers’ response to children’s challenging behavior. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore preschool teachers’ perspective on how they handle children’s challenging behaviors, and what inclines teachers toward suspending or expelling children from independently funded childcare centers. Liu’s theory of children’s externalizing behavior provided the conceptual framework for the study. Ten preschool teachers from urban, independently funded childcare centers in Texas were interviewed via Zoom, and data were analyzed using open coding. Results indicated children and teachers experienced frustration that inspired teachers to recommend suspension or expulsion for challenging students. Teachers characterized challenging children as hungry for attention and beset by difficulties at home, teachers recognized students’ inability to regulate feelings causing their disruptive behavior, and teachers needed training in managing children’s challenging behaviors. Recommendations for future research include interviewing teachers who work with toddlers 1 to 2 years old and replicating this study in a different region of the United States. Positive social change may result from this study if childcare centers become encouraged to provide preschool teachers with resources to address children’s challenging behaviors and to recognize the role of frustration in teachers’ and children’s behavior.
Recommended Citation
Scallion, Dr. Sharon Denise, "Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives on their Responses to Children’s Challenging Behaviors" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12548.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12548
