The Relationships between Knowledge of Literacy Instruction, Demographic Factors and the Classroom Management Orientation of Teachers of Students with Emotional Disorders

The purpose of this correlational study was to test the theory that relates the teachers\u27 knowledge of literacy instruction to the classroom foci for classroom management of the teachers of students with emotional behavioral disorders. The problem of the study is that students with emotional behavioral disorders continue to present high levels of unemployment and social adjustment problems in adulthood. The literature suggests a need for improved preparation of special educators for provision of literacy instruction as well as a shift towards academic priorities for students with emotional behavioral disorders. The study examined whether there is an effect from the knowledge of language concepts for literacy instruction, years of experience, education level, classroom setting, or grade level taught on the orientation towards classroom management. A total of 42 teachers of students with emotional behavioral disorders completed a demographic questionnaire, the Survey of Language Constructs Related to Literacy Acquisition, and the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale. The responses were analyzed using multiple regression procedures. The results indicated that an increase in knowledge of language concepts for literacy instruction related to a decrease in both instructional and behavioral control. Also, the teaching of the secondary grade level related to a decrease in behavioral control