Classroom dynamics and children at risk: A follow-up. Learning Disability Quarterly

Abstract. The two studies reported in this article followed up on an initial investigation of classroom dynamics and young chil-dren identified as at risk (AR) for developing learning, emotional, and behavioral disorders (LD/EBD) (Lago-Dellelo, 1998). In the present studies, measures were taken of teacher-student interac-tions, peer interactions, students ' perceptions of their teachers' expectations, student self-perceptions, and academic engaged time. In our first study, when the children were in grades 2 and 3, results replicated those of Lago-Dellelo (1998) conducted the pre-vious year when the children were in grades 1 and 2. That is, sig-nificant differences between students at risk for LD/EBD and not-at-risk (NAR) peers were found for type of teacher responses and academic engaged time. Teachers made significantly more negative and nonacademic responses to the AR students, who spent significantly less time on task than NAR peers. In our second followup study, when the children were in grades 3 and 4, signif-icant differences between groups were found for academic engaged time, self-perceptions, and perceptions of teachers' expectations. At-risk students spent less time on task, perceived themselves more negatively, and perceived their teachers as hav-ing more negative expectations of them than did NAR students. These findings suggest that as children at risk for LD/EBD get older, they begin to realize that their teachers view them nega-tively, and in turn begin to view themselves negatively. The effects of this realization on the these students ' achievement and self-esteem as well as adult and peer relationships in later years need to be further explored