$4 million in grants will help MU researchers connect virtually with Missouri teachers through ECHO platform
Story contact: Brian Consiglio, 573-882-9144
As a fifth-grade science teacher, Amber Lewis was used to managing classroom behavior through a system of rewards and consequences. But after meeting University of Missouri research professor Christi Bergin through her Prosocial and Active Learning Project, Lewis discovered a new approach to creating a more positive classroom climate.
“I began asking the students how they would feel if someone was acting unkindly toward them,” said Lewis, who teaches at Willow Springs School District in southern Missouri. “Prosocial education is all about helping kids understand how their behavior affects others. It helped teach my students about empathy by allowing them to put themselves in other people’s shoes, and I started to notice a positive change with student behavior in my classroom.”
Prosocial behaviors are those intended to help other people. These actions are characterized by a concern for the rights, feelings and welfare of other people. Behaviors that can be described as prosocial include kindness, sharing, cooperating and being considerate of others.
With the help of $4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Bergin and a team of researchers at the MU College of Education and Human Development plan to use a virtual ECHO platform to connect with 200 middle school teachers in Missouri, reaching 26,000 students throughout the state. The online collaboration will allow the research team and teachers to discuss prosocial education practices in classrooms with the ultimate goals of improving student outcomes and reducing teacher stress.
“Previous research has shown prosocial children are better liked by their peers, are happier, feel more accepted at school, and they get better grades and test scores,” said Bergin, who is the associate dean for research and innovation in the MU College of Education and Human Development. “My passion is helping children behave in a way that is compassionate, thoughtful, kind, considerate and cooperative because it serves them well both in school and in life.”
The ECHO research team at MU includes experts in various fields, including bullying prevention, counseling, special education and child development. In addition to the four-year ECHO project, a separate grant will aim to measure the effectiveness of social and emotional learning interventions, such as ECHO, in improving prosocial behavior among students.
“When interviewing potential new employees, employers often report they are looking for people who can work well in teams, cooperate and collaborate with others, listen to people with diverse backgrounds and treat others with dignity,” Bergin said. “Promoting prosocial behavior not only improves student outcomes in the classroom and in their later careers, it also helps reduce teacher stress and burnout, which is a major national issue right now.”
Lewis explained another helpful teaching technique she learned from Bergin’s research is the power of praise.
“One of the simplest but most powerful things I learned was to say ‘I appreciate you’ rather than ‘I appreciate that’ when someone exhibited prosocial behavior in the classroom,” Lewis said. “We need to reward students internally to help them feel proud of themselves without expecting some type of external reward.”
The prosocial education techniques Lewis implemented into her teaching based off Bergin’s research were simple, yet powerful.
“When I started making a tally mark of how many times a day I was giving praise to each kid in my class, it was an eye-opening experience for me,” Lewis said. “I could not believe that some kids behaved so well yet never get praised because of how quiet they are. Usually it is the loud kids that always get noticed for both positive or negative things, but we need to make sure every kid feels valued and is noticed.”
Note: Funding for the grants was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Teachers interested in participating are welcome to contact Christi Bergin at email@example.com.
"Mimi na Brian Contizo, 578-9144, tulikuwa na uzoefu wa ""kuongoza tabia ya darasa"" kupitia mfumo wa tuzo na matokeo." Baada ya kukutana na profesa wa utafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Missouri, Christi Bergin, kupitia Mradi wake wa Kujifunza kwa Jamii na Active, Lewis aligundua mbinu mpya ya kuunda hali nzuri zaidi ya darasani. "Nilianza kuwauliza wanafunzi jinsi wangehisi ikiwa mtu fulani angewatendea vibaya", akasema Lewis, ambaye anafundisha katika Wilaya ya Shule ya Willow Springs kusini mwa Missouri. <unk>Elimu ya kijamii ni kuhusu kuwasaidia watoto kuelewa jinsi tabia yao inavyowaathiri wengine. "Kutumia njia hii, niliwafundisha wanafunzi wangu kuhusu hisia-mwenzi kwa kuwawezesha kujiweka katika nafasi ya wengine, na nikaanza kuona mabadiliko mazuri katika tabia ya wanafunzi katika darasa langu. ""Hatua za kijamii ni zile zinazolenga kuwasaidia watu wengine." Matendo haya yanajulikana kwa kujali haki, hisia na ustawi wa watu wengine. Tabia ambazo zinaweza kuelezwa kama prosocial ni pamoja na fadhili, kushiriki, kushirikiana na kuwa makini na wengine. Kwa msaada wa $ 4 milioni katika ruzuku kutoka Idara ya Elimu ya Marekani, Bergin na timu ya watafiti katika Chuo cha Elimu na Maendeleo ya Binadamu ya MU wanapanga kutumia jukwaa la ECHO kuunganisha na walimu wa shule za sekondari 200 huko Missouri, kufikia wanafunzi 26,000 katika jimbo lote. Ushirikiano wa mtandaoni utawezesha timu ya utafiti na walimu kujadili mazoea ya elimu ya kijamii katika madarasa na malengo ya mwisho ya kuboresha matokeo ya wanafunzi na kupunguza mkazo wa walimu. "Utafiti wa awali umeonyesha watoto wenye tabia ya kuunga mkono jamii wanapendwa zaidi na wenzao, wana furaha zaidi, wanahisi wanakubaliwa zaidi shuleni, na wanapata alama bora na alama za mtihani, ""alisema Bergin, ambaye ni mkurugenzi msaidizi wa utafiti na uvumbuzi katika Chuo cha Elimu na Maendeleo ya Binadamu cha MU." "Kupitia utafiti wa ECHO, tumeweza kugundua kwamba watoto wana tabia ya kuwa na huruma, huruma, fadhili, na ushirikiano, kwa sababu inawafaa vizuri katika shule na maisha yao, ""alisema, ""Timu ya utafiti ya ECHO katika MU inajumuisha wataalamu katika nyanja mbalimbali, ikiwa ni pamoja na kuzuia unyanyasaji, ushauri, elimu maalum na maendeleo ya watoto." Pamoja na mradi wa miaka minne wa ECHO, ruzuku tofauti italenga kupima ufanisi wa uingiliaji wa kujifunza kijamii na kihisia, kama vile ECHO, katika kuboresha tabia ya kijamii kati ya wanafunzi. "Wakati wa kuhoji wafanyikazi wapya, waajiri mara nyingi wanaripoti kuwa wanatafuta watu ambao wanaweza kufanya kazi vizuri katika timu, kushirikiana na kushirikiana na wengine, kusikiliza watu wenye asili tofauti na kuwatendea wengine kwa heshima, ""Bergin alisema." "Kukuza tabia ya kijamii sio tu kuboresha matokeo ya wanafunzi darasani na katika kazi zao za baadaye, pia husaidia kupunguza mkazo wa mwalimu na uchovu, ambayo ni suala kubwa la kitaifa sasa hivi. ""Lewis alielezea mbinu nyingine ya kufundisha yenye kusaidia aliyojifunza kutoka kwa utafiti wa Bergin ni nguvu ya sifa." "Moja ya mambo rahisi lakini yenye nguvu zaidi niliyojifunza ilikuwa kusema 'Ninakuthamini' badala ya 'Ninakuthamini hilo' wakati mtu fulani alipoonyesha tabia ya kijamii darasani", Lewis alisema. "Tunahitaji kuwapa wanafunzi tuzo ndani yao ili kuwasaidia kujivunia bila kutarajia aina fulani ya tuzo ya nje. "" Mbinu za elimu ya kijamii Lewis kutekelezwa katika mafundisho yake kulingana na utafiti Bergin walikuwa rahisi, lakini nguvu. """ "Nilipoanza kuweka alama ya mara ngapi kwa siku nilivyokuwa nikimsifu kila mtoto katika darasa langu, ilikuwa uzoefu wa kufungua macho kwangu", Lewis alisema. <unk>Singeweza kuamini kwamba baadhi ya watoto walijiendesha vizuri sana lakini kamwe hawakusifiwa kwa sababu ya jinsi walivyo watulivu. "Kwa kawaida ni watoto wenye kelele ambao daima wanagunduliwa kwa mambo mazuri au mabaya, lakini tunahitaji kuhakikisha kila mtoto anahisi thamani na anagunduliwa. "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" Walimu wanaopendezwa na kushiriki wanakaribishwa kuwasiliana na Christi Bergin kwenye email@example.com.