van den Berg Y H M, Stoltz S
Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
J Emot Behav Disord. 2018 Mar;26(1):31-41. doi: 10.1177/1063426617740561. Epub 2018 Jan 30.
Inclusive education has brought new challenges for teachers, including the search for a suitable place in the classroom for children with externalizing problems. In the current study, we examined whether a careful rearrangement of the classroom seats could promote social acceptance and more prosocial behaviors for children with externalizing problems, and limit the potential negative consequences for classmates sitting next to them. The sample of this randomized controlled trial consisted of 64 classrooms with 221 fourth- to sixth-grade children selected by their teachers because of elevated levels of externalizing behavior. Results showed that over time children with externalizing behavior were better liked by their seatmates and showed fewer externalizing problems according to the teacher. This was particularly the case when students sat next to a well-liked and prosocial buddy, or when they were initially disliked. Classmates who sat next to a child with externalizing problems did not become more aggressive or less prosocial over time. Yet their social status did decrease slightly over time as a result of the rearrangement. We discuss implications and future directions for research on classroom seating arrangements to support children with externalizing problems.
全纳教育给教师带来了新的挑战，包括为有外化问题的儿童在教室里寻找合适的位置。在本研究中，我们考察了精心重新安排教室座位是否能促进有外化问题儿童的社会接纳度和更多亲社会行为，并限制坐在他们旁边的同学可能受到的负面影响。这项随机对照试验的样本包括64个班级的221名四至六年级学生，这些学生因外化行为水平较高而被他们的老师选中。结果表明，随着时间的推移，有外化行为的儿童更受同桌喜欢，并且根据老师的评价，他们的外化问题也更少。当学生坐在一个受欢迎且亲社会的伙伴旁边时，或者当他们最初不受欢迎时，情况尤其如此。坐在有外化问题儿童旁边的同学并没有随着时间的推移变得更具攻击性或亲社会性更低。然而，由于座位重新安排，他们的社会地位确实随着时间的推移略有下降。我们讨论了教室座位安排研究的意义和未来方向，以支持有外化问题的儿童。
