The Impact of the Establish-Maintain-Restore Method on Teacher-Student Relationships in the Secondary Classroom

The purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of using a problem-solving approach to behavior instances within the classroom that decreases the use of office referrals. This study focuses on eighth-grade students in math and social studies classrooms. Within this study Pre- and Post-Assessments were used to gauge classroom culture, Behavior Logs to document behavior instances, a Conflict Data Gathering Tool to identify student perceptions of the private conversations, and a Teacher Reflection Chart to identify alternative behavior prevention strategies that could also be implemented. The researchers found that implementing a problem-solving approach to student behavior instances significantly reduced their use of office referrals for discretionary student misbehavior compared to previous years. The researchers plan to continue using a problem-solving approach to student behavior concerns and recommend that other educators implement the problem-solving approach as well