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Increasing Independent Learning Skills through Culturally Responsive Practices and

Positive Behavior Interventions

Kayla Miller

College of Education, Butler University

ED 227: Introduction to Middle-Secondary Students and Schools

Professor Felicia Williams

December 7, 2022
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Abstract

Throughout the ED 227 course at Butler University, students have thought about how educators

and coaches create developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive conditions for

learning. This research paper explores these topics and ideas further, asking: does culturally

responsive teaching and positive behavior intervention increase student capability of independent

learning? The information presented in this paper calls upon educators to implement these

practices into their lesson plans and classroom management styles to encourage students to view

themselves as capable, independent learners. This research references multiple peer-reviewed

scholarly sources on culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions. This

paper also includes observations from middle school classrooms and how the teachers’ practices

and types of classroom management function in schools. Based on the research, culturally

responsive teaching and positive behavior interventions proved to help students focus and learn

independently within the classroom. Greater encouragement from teachers increases students’

perceptions of themselves, often inspiring them to take control of their own learning, which leads

to greater success. By implementing positive behavior interventions and culturally responsive

teaching practices, teachers can help middle school students believe in their abilities as learners

and do meaningful schoolwork with increased independence.

Keywords: independent learning, culturally responsive teaching, positive behavior

intervention, classroom management, middle school, teacher development

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Increasing Independent Learning Skills through Culturally Responsive Practices and

Positive Behavior Interventions

Educators have various responsibilities and goals for their students throughout their K-12

education, but one of the most important skills and mindsets for students to develop during their

schooling is independence in learning. Teachers play a large role in helping students become

independent learners, so this project focuses on various behavior management strategies and

culturally responsive practices that help middle school students shift from dependent to

independent learning. Encouragement of independent learning should take priority in classrooms

and teachers should work this type of student engagement and processing into lesson plans. This

is especially important at the middle school level, as students gain more independence in their

personal lives and go through major developmental changes. By implementing positive behavior

interventions and culturally responsive teaching practices, teachers can help middle school

students believe in their abilities as learners and do meaningful schoolwork with increased

independence.

This research focuses heavily on two concepts: culturally responsive teaching and

positive behavior interventions. Culturally responsive teaching describes a set of practices the

aim to connect student’s various cultural identities, linguistic skills, and life experiences to the

work they do in the classroom. Zaretta Hammond explains that recognizing and talking about

culture in the classroom can help students in historically marginalized groups gain greater access

to rigorous curriculum (Hammond, 2014). Another beneficial teaching practice is including

positive behavior interventions within classroom management strategies. Positive behavior

interventions aim to encourage positive student behaviors by setting high expectations and

consistent routines that set students up for greater success in the classroom (Carrier, 2015).
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Literature Review

Structuring Independent Learning in Lesson Plans

In her book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, Zaretta Hammond argues

that a central goal of teaching should be to help dependent learners develop confidence in

themselves as learners, which will then help them shift to an independent academic mindset

(Hammond, 2014). John W. Thomas agrees with Hammond’s argument in his research, adding

that independent learning is especially important in the middle grades, since they reached an age

where they can conduct learning activities and assignments on their own (Thomas, 1993). Other

sources agree with this information and provide lesson planning frameworks to ensure that

educators implement independent learning strategies in their classrooms. Researcher Jaya Carrier

claims that lesson plan designs must give every student the opportunity to “achieve a meaningful

outcome working with a degree of independence” in their classrooms (Carrier, 2015, p. 30). Her

research expands upon this idea, explaining that students can implement these independent

learning strategies when they understand the purpose behind their work (Carrier, 2015).

Piaget also encourages students to participate meaningfully in their surrounding

classroom environments. He promotes constructivism, explaining that students learn best by

doing. Independent learners are more likely to take initiative and engage in the active learning

that Piaget encourages, which is why it is important for teachers to structure these skills into their

lesson plans. If teachers clearly outline the purposes of their lesson plans and help students

implement the strategies listed, then middle school students will have a greater chance of success

with independent learning.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices

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Implementing culturally responsive teaching practices is one way that teachers can guide

students to independent learning. One of the leading causes of the dependent learning mindset in

students stems from deficit language in education systems (Hammond, 2014). This includes

terms like “at-risk” and “unteachable,” which then convinces students they do not have the

potential for learning and succeeding in academic settings (Rodriguez et al., 2016). Educators

should recognize this harmful language and avoid using it, so they can instead cultivate a

positive self-image for learners. Culturally responsive teaching helps to recognize the various

systemic barriers and discrimination within the education system, while also acknowledging that

all students have intellect and value.

Christine Rogers Stanton argues that one crucial part of culturally responsive teaching is

including an adequate representation of various social groups in lesson plans. Her research

focuses on including the voices of indigenous people in the history curriculum, especially since

their perspectives are often ignored by mainstream textbooks and the US history curriculum

(Stanton, 2012). The sources from above argue that culturally sensitive encouragement of

marginalized students and representative curriculum will lead to greater student success and

independent learning skills. Recognizing diversity and identity through culturally responsive

teaching gives students an opportunity to self-define. Theorist Albert Bandura worked with

personality theories and explained that teachers should give students space to try out different

behaviors and personality traits based on their life experiences. The culturally responsive

teaching that Stanton, Hammond, and Rodriguez describe would accomplish this goal.

Positive Behavior Intervention

Classroom management also contributes to student’s academic mindset and self-

perception of their learning skills. Rodriguez and her co-teachers recognize the common link
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between harsh school discipline and marginalized student groups, which is why they argue that

positive behavior intervention can maintain classroom management while also giving all students

equal chances to succeed and grow from their mistakes. One strategy to promote positive

behaviors while also awarding students time to learn from their mistakes is to “behavior share”

(Rodriguez et al., 2016, pp. 174). This practice gives students the opportunity to learn about

acceptable classroom behavior from both their peers and teachers, which is especially important

for those with cultural differences who may have different understandings of good behavior.

Carrier’s research also advocates for positive behavior management strategies, especially

the reinforcement of good behaviors. She says that reinforcing positive behaviors and learning

traits, like “resilience, perseverance, and ownership,” can maintain classroom structure and

promote independent student learning (Carrier, 2015, pp. 30). B.J. Skinner’s work on

behaviorism promotes the use of positive behavior interventions with students as well. Skinner

and Carrier both claim that positive behavior interventions can help create reliable classroom

limits that help educators manage classrooms while also giving students space to make mistakes

and develop their skills. Both culturally responsive behavior management and positive

reinforcements can help create a classroom environment that is conducive to independent

learning for all students.

Student Input in Classroom Learning

Another way to encourage independent learning with middle school students is for

teachers to prompt their pupils to gain insight into their learning. Hammond advocates for

educators gaining cognitive insights about their students, but the first step in this process requires

students to understand how they learn and process information (Hammond, 2014). In Jaya

Carrier’s research, she asks middle school students to name traits and activities that they believe
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contribute to independent learning. Responses indicate that students have a good understanding

of their intellect and the lesson plans and strategies that help them shift to an academic mindset

(Carrier, 2015). Thomas’s research backs this up, adding that student-led learning is especially

crucial during the middle school years. He claims that students in the middle grades experience

cognitive monitoring and development during various learning and problem-solving activities

(Thomas, 1993). The aforementioned sources all contribute to the argument that students must

have a stake in and understanding of their cognitive processes to achieve independent learning.

Teachers can encourage this self-understanding by prompting students to think about their

learning during daily lessons.

Educator Self-Reflection

For these independent learning strategies to work for middle grade students, educators

must reflect on their teaching and classroom management to ensure that their structure does not

promote student dependency. Cramer and her colleagues explain that educators must become

aware of their own biases about education and classroom culture to understand and adapt to

student needs. This self-examination is especially important when teaching culturally diverse

learners, since they come from different educational backgrounds and face greater adversity in

the US system (Cramer et al., 2015). Hammond’s work builds on this, explaining that the

relationship between students and teachers takes effort on both sides to succeed. Students must

volunteer cognitive insight and personal information, but they will only do so if the teacher

makes them feel comfortable, supported, and validated in their academic conversations.

Educators should reflect on how they can build this rapport with their students, because

Hammond claims these relationships lead to greater student success and independence

(Hammond, 2014). Educators must reflect on their practices and classroom strategies to ensure
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they meet the needs of all students, especially those who need to make the shift from dependent

to independent learning.

Methodology

To gather information about independent learning in middle school classrooms, I

consulted multiple peer-reviewed secondary sources about the topic, especially those focusing on

culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions. To find these sources, I used

the Butler University Library World Cat and ERIC databases. The articles and books were

published within the past thirty years and contained relevant information about modern education

practices. Throughout this research process, I also spent some time observing these practices in

the field. I spent time in six classrooms in Indianapolis, three at Shortridge High School and

three at IPS 60, observing secondary teachers and their classroom practices. Each observation

lasted approximately 90 to 100 minutes, where I took notes on teacher instruction and interaction

with students. This field experience provided additional information about the effectiveness of

some practices outlined in the secondary sources. I recognize that these field findings are very

specific, but the observations give insight into student reaction and responsiveness to some of

these practices. These in-school observations, specifically those in the middle school classrooms

at IPS 60, provide evidence that culturally responsive teaching and positive behavior

interventions increase students' independent learning skills.

Findings and Implications

Findings from Class Observations

The findings from both the comprehensive literature review and middle school

observations suggest that culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions

provoke student engagement and independent learning at the middle school level. As the articles
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and books used in this study suggest, increased encouragement, rapport, and inclusive

environments in classroom settings make students feel more comfortable taking risks and

developing those independent learning skills (Hammond, 2014). This was clear in multiple

middle school classrooms that I observed at IPS 60.

A science class that I observed there spent time during their class period preparing for a

trip to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum to explore the Emmett Till exhibit. The teacher

opened up a class discussion about race and explained to students that the exhibit could evoke

emotional responses from students because of the racist nature of Till’s murder. Students seemed

responsive to this conversation and asked their teacher questions about the exhibit and the civil

rights movement, which prepared them for their class activity where they made posters about

social justice (IPS 60 Observation 10.24). When it came time for the in-class activity, students

completed tasks and made creative posters without much assistance from the teacher. The

cultural context provided and the positive encouraging messages from the teacher when students

provided well-developed answers to questions and stayed on task seemed to create a very

productive and engaged learning environment.

An English class at IPS 60 also implemented class-wide practices, but this teacher’s plans

focused on positive behavior interventions. In this class, the educator asked students to take

initiative and give positive feedback to their peers about the debate forum they just completed for

the task that day. Many students provided in-depth and positive feedback for their peers, and the

people receiving that feedback were visibly happy about the comments they received (IPS 60

Observation 11.14). The students provided in-depth feedback and cited specific examples,

highlighting for the class which writing strategies work well for a debate forum. This activity

exemplified “behavior sharing,” which showed students the types of academic work and
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behaviors that are both accepted and celebrated in the classroom (Rodriguez et al., 2016). The

student feedback seemed to help students gain a better understanding of academic writing and

gave them greater control over the learning process. Creating a student-led discussion and

feedback follow-up allowed them to practice effective independent learning skills.

There were also a few intimate moments of encouragement and positive behavior

interventions. In an English class I observed, there were a few students who did not focus on the

tasks and assignments at the beginning of class. However, after a few brief conversations with

the teacher about the assignment for the class period, the students completed the work for the

day. For that class period, students were supposed to practice creating arguments and debating in

an online forum with their classmates. Once the teacher showed students some questions about

pop culture and popular political debates, they seemed more interested in the activity and took

charge of their learning (IPS 60 Observation 11.14). Simple actions like check-ins can help build

rapport between students and teachers (Hammond, 2014). These deeper relationships between

teachers and students can create a better learning environment because students feel more

comfortable trying new strategies and gaining new knowledge if they are comfortable with the

educator in their classroom. Safe and culturally responsive classroom spaces are crucial for

independent learning because students can make attempts and mistakes in the learning process

without facing negative consequences.

Examples from these observations highlight culturally responsive teaching and positive

behavior intervention in practice, both of which were effective in the classrooms that I observed.

It is important for educators to understand the positive effects that these practices and classroom

management models have on their students. Not only did the students in the classrooms at IPS

behave and focus well in the classrooms that implemented these practices, but they also took
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greater responsibility for their learning with the teacher’s encouragement and guidance. These

small adjustments in lesson plans which increase culturally responsive content and

conversations, and implement positive behavior interventions, which maintain students’ self-

esteem and engagement, help students improve their image of themselves as learners and

practice independent learning skills in the classroom environment.

Connections to the Course

Throughout the semester, our introductory course on middle-secondary students and

schools has focused on independent learning, developmentally appropriate practices, and

culturally responsive teaching. Based on peer-reviewed research and classroom observations,

there is evidence that culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions can help

teachers accomplish the goal of leading students down the path to independent learning. Zaretta

Hammond speaks about the importance and benefits of independent learning in her text we read

for the course. She explains that independent learning skills help students act on their academic

drive to try new things and succeed in school settings (Hammond, 2014). She identifies that

culturally responsive teaching is a way for educators to recognize student value and intellect,

encouraging them to forge their own learning journey with a manner of independence. Carjuzaa

and Kellough speak about the importance of classroom management in their text. Since positive

behavior interventions maintain classroom structure and effective management, they benefit both

the flow of the classes and student self-perception, making this one of the most effective

behavior management strategies.

Implications for Educators

All educators should keep these research results in mind as they plan out their courses

and overarching classroom management strategies. Going into the field, I hope to plan out
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specific lessons that implement culturally responsive teaching and positive behavior

interventions. Since I will teach middle school social studies classes, I hope to teach about

historical issues that are culturally relevant to all students in the classroom, ensuring that I

include a diverse and inclusive array of perspectives in my course content. I hope this strategy

will engage a larger portion of students in the work and help them relate more to the content we

cover in class.

Becoming a “warm demander” can also help implement these strategies in the classroom.

These types of teachers expect good academic work from their students, which means they praise

student intellect and hard work. Encouraging this type of academic behavior is a type of positive

behavior intervention. When students who are hardworking and on-task receive academic

validation from educators with high expectations, it can encourage other students in the class to

work hard to receive the positive feedback as well. These educators also recognize the value in

all students, combating negative stereotypes that deem some students “at-risk” or less intelligent

compared to others. This type of culturally responsive teaching is vital to ensuring that all

students feel like they can attain academic success in a course. I hope to act as a warm demander

in my future classroom, setting high expectations for my students, but also developing

meaningful and supportive relationships that will encourage their development.

The findings from this research teaches educators about the strategic elements of teacher

interactions with students that can elevate student performance and help them develop

independent learning skills. It is important for teachers to think critically about how their

relationships with students and behavior management in their classrooms have profound effects

on student academic mindsets. Reflecting on these interactions and purposefully structuring

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culturally responsive teaching and positive behavior interventions into course structures can have

lasting positive effects on students and their capability of independent learning.

Conclusion

Based on evidence gathered from classroom observations and peer-reviewed research,

both culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions increase the likelihood of

students becoming independent learners. It is crucial for teachers, especially those of middle

school students, to familiarize themselves with these practices and implement them in their

classrooms. In a society where social inequalities and other societal issues can easily convince

students they lack intelligence, it is even more important for educators to center independent

learning as a main goal for students. Moving forward, schools and teachers must prioritize

culturally responsive practices and positive behavior interventions in their classrooms, so

students feel safe in these environments and capable of learning with high levels of

independence.
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References

Carrier, J. (2015). Taking the plunge: Developing independent learning with Year 7. Teaching

History, 1(161), 30–36. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26384135

Cramer, E. D., & Bennett, K. D. (2015). Implementing culturally responsive positive behavior

interventions and supports in middle school classrooms. Middle School Journal, 46(3),

18–24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24342147

Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic

engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.

Rodriguez, E. R., Bellanca, J. A., & Esparza, D. R. (2016). Chapter 8 – Sharing behavior. What

Is It about Me You Can’t Teach?: Culturally Responsive Instruction in Deeper Learning

Classrooms (3rd ed., pp. 174-190). SAGE Publications.

Stanton, C. R. (2012). Hearing the Story: Critical indigenous curriculum inquiry and primary

source representation in social studies education. Theory & Research in Social

Education, 40(4), 339–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2012.723242

Thomas, J. W. (1993). Promoting independent learning in the middle grades: The role of

instructional support practices. The Elementary School Journal, 93(5), 575–591.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1001829