Zones of Regulation
Data
Data Collection Methods
There were several data collection methods chosen to monitor student progress throughout the duration of this study. They included a classroom climate survey, pre and post tests related to the Zones of Regulation curriculum, and student behavior reflection sheets (resets.) Each method of collecting data served as beneficial in determining whether the Zones of Regulation was effective in improving students’ self-regulation and listening skills, which was the goal of the study.
The first data collection method, the Classroom Climate Survey, was given at the beginning of the study in January as well as at the end of the study in March. Students anonymously took a survey online consisting of 18 multiple choice questions, with the options ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. There were also two short answer questions at the end of the survey that asked students what they liked about being in the class and what they wished was different. Questions on the survey consisted of asking students about their opinions on how I treated them, how they treated each other, the classroom environment, and the work done. This survey was done with students with the intention of gaining a perception of students’ feelings about their own behavior, their classmates’ behavior, and how I respond to it. Because the purpose of the study was to see if the curriculum increased students’ self-regulation and listening skills, this survey was important to see if students thought their own behavior and the behaviors of others’ in the classroom were changing.
Two self-assessments were also anonymously completed by students at the beginning of the study and the conclusion of the study. They came from the Zones of Regulation curriculum, so aligned well with the intentions of teaching the Zones to students. One of the questionnaires focused on students’ ability to identify emotions, triggers that affect their behavior, and how their behavior affects those around them. The other questionnaire focused on similar concepts, such as evaluating their behavior at school, emotions they experience at school, and their knowledge of tools and strategies to regulate strong emotions to get them back to being ready to learn. Students ranked themselves on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “No way,” and 5 being a “Definitely.” These self-assessments were given to students with the purpose of gauging their understanding of how their behavior affects themselves, others, and what they can do to control and regulate their emotions and behaviors so optimal learning can occur. With the purpose of the study being to increase self-regulation among students and therefore listening throughout the day, it was important to see whether students were recognizing emotions they were having at school and how that was affecting them. It was also important that they were able to have tools to bring their strong emotions back down to a level where learning and appropriate actions could occur. Additionally, it aligned with the Zones of Regulation curriculum lessons that were taught throughout the study, so it was valuable to see if students had gained information and had learned from the lessons.
Aligning with the PBIS system that the district implements, students complete “resets” or behavioral redirect sheets. The system that the school has teachers follow is first giving a student an informal redirect, which may be a look or a reminder saying, “Please face forward.” The next step is to give the student a formal redirect, where the expectation is stated and the student is asked if they can follow it, such as, “The expectation is to be respectful and face forward when we are learning. Are you ready to follow that expectation?” Finally, if a student is still repeating the behavior, they are asked to fill out a reset form. This reset form has them fill out what expectation they were not following and what happened, and then asks them to think about how they will follow that expectation in the future. Teachers fill out the sheet after student completion by stating whether the form was filled out for a disruption (such as talking to others, blurting out, moving around the room, or another distracting behavior), disrespect (not listening, messing with items, etc.) or defiance (choosing not to follow directions after reminders.) Before beginning this study, it was noticed that many of the resets that were being filled out in the class were due to not listening for some reason, whether that reason was talking, playing with items that should not have been out, or something else. The reset data and looking at individual student’s behaviors from the beginning to the end of this study showed whether students were gaining self-regulation skills through the curriculum and therefore increasing their listening skills and keeping the day running smoothly with fewer disruptions.
Classroom Climate Survey
Zones of Regulation Pre & Post Tests
Student Resets
How was student progress monitored during the course of the study?
Throughout the course of this study, student progress was monitored as well. In addition to student resets being collected and recorded to monitor student behaviors and actions, observations were made by both myself and others who were frequently in our classroom. Actions and language were observed among students. I was able to notice how during whole group reading or other read-alouds, students would raise their hand and share how characters we were reading about were in different zones and why they were feeling like that. One particular student did not show up on paper as much, as his behavior did not require him to fill out resets, but he did experience strong emotions when others around him were doing something such as not following the rules. Last semester, this student would get very angry and either cry, yell, or stomp away from a situation that was making him upset. In the middle and towards the end of this study, that behavior was not seen with the student when he was in triggering situations. Additionally, another particular student, was observed to get upset and yell about it during the middle of lessons, distracting others and myself. Her behavior also came from strong emotions, and her interactions with her peers throughout this study became calmer. Our literacy coach, who had been in our classroom often, observed this student at recess discussing with a peer how a situation was making her enter the Red Zone and they were brainstorming solutions together so she could come out of it.
How did collected data during the course of the study inform decisions?
Data collected during the course of this study, including resets and observed student behavior, was helpful in informing decision-making throughout the teaching of the curriculum. I was able to gauge which lessons were impacting students more through observations and therefore plan which lessons I wanted to spend more time on with them. For example, when I observed several students using a breathing strategy to calm themselves down, I knew it would be important to spend more time on calming tools to get students back to the green zone. I was also able to see through reset data which students may benefit by having their desk more towards the front of the room so I could focus on redirecting them to practice desirable behaviors and increase their self-regulation strategies.
Data Analysis
Classroom Climate Survey
The climate survey was initially completed with students on 2/15/19 and was once again completed by students on 3/18/19. Below are some results of significant differences among the results of both surveys:
Though not an intended outcome of the study, one question on the climate survey showed an increase in the number of students who either agreed or strongly agreed that students speak up and share ideas about classwork. It went from 17 students, or 77%, to all 22 students, or 100% of them believing that students did speak up and share their ideas about class work.
Here, it is seen that 8 out of 22 students either disagreed or strongly disagreed that students did not respect one another when this pre-test was given. This means 36% of students believed this about the classroom and when the post-test was given, only 3 students still believed this (13%). More students believed that they were respected by their classmates at the end of this study.
As seen in the graph, 15 out of 22 students (67%) believed at the beginning of this study that other students behaved in the classroom. By the end of the study, only 3 disagreed that other students behaved in the classroom, and 86% agreed or strongly agreed that other students behaved in the classroom.
Finally, this graph shows how the number of students who strongly agreed that they enjoyed school increased from 11 to 14, and the number of students who disagreed or strongly disagreed that they enjoyed school decreased from 5 students to 3 students at the end of this study.
As seen in these four categories of the climate pre and post surveys, there were increases in several areas of the questionnaire students completed. Thinking about the increase in students agreeing that others spoke up and shared their ideas about class work, this could have to do with sharing more about ourselves as we learned the Zones curriculum together, so students could have felt more comfortable sharing other ideas after getting used to doing it in another setting. It could also be that because students had gained tools and strategies to use when they were feeling strong emotions, there were less disruptions and distractions going on that both other students and myself were handling. With this, it could have created a calmer learning environment and students could have felt more at ease sharing their ideas. Additionally, this same concept could go along with more students believing their classmates respected each other. If the learning environment was calmer and there were less distractions, perhaps students felt that their classmates were listening to them better and respecting what they had to say. Throughout the Zones of Regulation curriculum, problem-solving lessons were also taught, and through observation as well, students were able to handle their problems in a more effective way. Therefore, students could have felt more that their classmates respected each other through more effective problem-solving. The third piece of data also looked at students’ perceptions of their classmates and their behaviors, focusing on whether they thought their classmates behaved well in the classroom. Due to the increase in students agreeing or strongly agreeing that their classmates behaved well, this could be for similar reasons. Finally, the number of students who either strongly agreed or agreed that they enjoyed school increased, which could be for reasons described above - whether that be a calmer learning environment with less distractions and disruptions or that they were problem-solving better with their classmates.
Zones of Regulation Pre & Post Tests
These results are from a pre-survey obtained from the Zones of Regulation curriculum website. Students completed the self-assessment individually on 12/20/18.
This was the same Zones of Regulation survey that students completed as a post test on 3/8/19.
When looking at the results of this survey, it is seen that there were increases in many areas. Initially, 65% of students who took the pre-survey said that they either “most of the time” or “definitely” get along with their friends, classmates, and adults at school, and after the post-test, 91% of students who took it were marking these responses. The statements that discussed knowing what to do to feel better and get back to learning (#3, 5, and 7) went from 13 to 17 students knowing what to do most of the time or definitely when they were tired, 13 to 18 students knowing what to do most of the time or definitely when they were silly and overly-energized at school, and 11 to 16 students knowing what to do most of the time or definitely when they were angry or sad at school from the pre to post test. Additionally, looking at students noticing their own behavior and how many marked most of the time or definitely, 65% of students at the pre-test knew when they were acting differently than the teacher expects so were able to change their behavior to do their best, and 60% noticed when their classmates were distracted by them and changed their behavior so that would not happen. By the post test, 86% were noticing teacher expectations and knew what they needed to do to be most successful and 72% were making changes so they would not distract their classmates. Finally, there was an 11% increase in students knowing what they needed to do to be ready to learn and a 16% increase in students stating they tried their best at school, coming to 91% of them believing they did at the end of this study.
The pre-test was completed on 12/21/18 and the post-test was completed on 3/18/19.
Looking at the results of this survey, there were increases in knowledge gained among students in several categories from the pre to post test. At the pre-test, 70% of students either strongly agreed or agreed that they used tools to regulate themselves when they had intense emotions, and at the post-test, 95% of students agreed or strongly agreed. At the beginning of the study, 75% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they could read their body’s cues to determine emotions they were experiencing, and 100% of students agreed or disagreed that they could do this by the end of the study. Finally, there was a 20% increase in students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they could identify a range of emotions from the pre to post-test. In the post-test, there were 0 students who strongly disagreed with any of the 6 statements and 3 or less who disagreed with each statement.
Considering the results of both pre and post-tests given to students regarding the Zones of Regulation curriculum, it shows that students were gaining the intended knowledge of the lessons taught. Because the surveys came directly from the curriculum website, the questions on each one had the purpose of seeing where students were at in terms of identifying their emotions and behaviors, how that affected themselves and others, and knowledge they had of tools and strategies to get back to feeling better and ready to learn. Significant increases included that students were able to identify emotions, read their body’s cues to determine emotions, and their ability to use tools to regulate intense or strong emotions. This showed in their behavior and the observations both myself and other teachers (as described above) had. There were also significant increases in students getting along with others, noticing when their behavior was affecting others and having the ability to change it, and having tools to get back to feeling better and ready to learn. Based solely on these surveys, the students made progress towards the goal of the study of increasing their self-regulation skills (ultimately improving their listening skills as well) as they gained awareness and strategies to do so. Gaining this knowledge through the curriculum was helpful for students as it gave them more of an understanding as we learned, discussed, and thought about situations that applied to their lives with the lessons. This showed in their feelings and understanding of the different criteria the curriculum intends for students to learn.
Student Resets
In this graph, I focused on the student reset data of 6 students who have filled out the most resets throughout the school year and looked at it on a weekly basis of how many resets they were filling out per week throughout this study. Prior to the implementation of the Zones of Regulation curriculum, throughout the year, Student A had filled out 14 resets, Student B had filled out 19, Student C had filled out 20, Student D had filled out 27, Student E had filled out 24, and Student F had filled out 13. These were the highest number of resets per student in my class, and as seen in the graph, the most filled out by these 6 students occurred in Week 1. Student A’s filling out of resets went from 4 in Week 1 to 1 or 2 per week, and 0 filled out in Week 8. Students B and C also saw their number of resets filled out per week decrease as well. Some students’ number of resets filled out increased in certain weeks, but there could have been a number of reasons for that to occur. Additionally, less of these students were filling out resets in the final weeks of the study than at the beginning.
In addition to the reset data of the 6 students above, the number of resets filled out for the whole class per each week of the study was looked at. As seen in the graph, the number of resets filled out in the first week of the study was high, decreased, went up a little, and then gradually decreased again. The number of resets filled out by the class in the final week of the study was lower than the number of resets filled out by the class in the beginning of this study, going from 12 filled out in Week 1 to 2 filled out in Week 2.
With all of this in mind, there are several reasons for the results of this portion of data. The Zones of Regulation curriculum could have impacted students in a way that they better understood how to regulate their emotions and behaviors to meet the expectations set in place in the classroom. Some of the students I was focusing on had filled out many resets prior to this study, and perhaps gained a better hold on what they could do to make themselves more successful. Looking at the reset data for the whole class, there were decreases in the number filled out from Week 1-Week 4, and then an increase in the number filled out before the numbers gradually went down again. When wondering why this was the case, I looked at snow days and days students were not in attendance. Of the 8 weeks this study was completed, the only full 5 day week that we had was Week 5. It could be that because of this, behaviors were increased.
Considering each method of collecting data, there were several connections among the different pieces. First of all, in both the climate survey and the pre and post surveys from the Zones of Regulation curriculum, there were increases in students believing that their classmates behaved in the classroom and respected one another as well as students believing that they got along with their classmates. This also connects to an increase in students enjoying school and speaking up and sharing their ideas in class, as their belief that they were respected in a calm learning environment was increased. Additionally, this connects to the amount of resets being filled out by students decreasing as this led to less disruptions and distractions occurring during lessons, so listening was increased as students were able to share their ideas as behavior improved. Next, there is a connection between the increase of students having a better understanding of tools and strategies to use to get them back to feeling okay and ready to learn when experiencing emotions such as silliness, anger, sadness, or being tired. With this increase, it could connect to the number of resets decreasing as well as students gained better knowledge of self-regulation skills for their emotions and behavior to increase desirable behavior in the classroom.
With each of these methods of collecting data, there was an impact had on students. As seen through the connections described above, there was an increase in students knowing how to read their emotions and regulate those emotions to get them back to being ready to learn. There was also an increase in students’ understanding of how their behavior affects those around them and them knowing what they need to do to get back to expected behavior. Both of these pieces of data help students gain valuable skills that help meet one of the goals of this study - increasing their self-regulation skills. Additionally, students’ belief that their classmates behaved and respected one another increased, which has increased more positive social interactions in our classroom seen through observations as well. This has also allowed students’ comfort level in the classroom to go up as all students now believe that they speak up and share their ideas. With respect they feel they better have from their classmates now as distractions and disruptions have decreased, it helped meet another goal of the study - to increase students’ listening skills.
Through this research, challenges were presented as 7 snow days occurred through the 8 week period of the study, as well as student days off for various holidays and staff development days. It made me wonder if results would have been different had we had the full weeks to implement the action plan and conduct research. Additionally, in the future, I would be interested in implementing this curriculum at the beginning of the year and gauging student’s opinions at the beginning of the year, the end of the year, and possibly several points throughout as I monitored reset data as well. I wonder what the results would have been had there been a longer time period of conducting research. Finally, I taught the lessons in whole group settings as a morning meeting each day, and some have taught the Zones of Regulation in small groups, and I wonder if the results had been different had we not had whole group discussions and lessons and how those would have changed.
