Reducing off -Task Behaviors Using an Action Research Method with One-Case Study

The purpose of this action research project was to discover what interventions would be most effective in decreasing the off-task behaviors of a student. Interventions used were use of a token system, changes in classroom environment and teacher attention. The sample selected for this research was a student in a second-grade classroom. This action research grew out of the frustration and sense of inadequacy of a teacher attempting to deal with the off-task behaviors of one of her students. The student’s off task behaviors were interfering with her learning and that of her classmates. There were seven specific off-task behaviors that helped define the problem. These behaviors included daydreaming, speaking to peers, talking out of turn, touching others, fidgeting with objects, getting out of her seat at inappropriate times, and putting her head down on the table. The three tools that were chosen to document evidence of the problem were an observation checklist, a student survey and a teacher survey. The findings indicated that allowing the subject to enjoy one of her favorite activities, contingent upon a decrease in the off-task behaviors, was effective in maintaining the desired behavior of staying on-task and decreasing inappropriate behaviors.