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The article analysed in this essay addresses the issue of teacher-student

relationships, and their impact on the academic and biopsychosocial wellbeing of
gifted students and students with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD).
This issue is relevant specifically to HSIE for several reasons. Gifted HSIE
students have the capacity to extend beyond the course requirements to
challenge critical thinking and writing abilities, due to the wide range of subject
material and levels of comprehension and engagement. On the other hand,
these levels of analytical ability and engagement can prove a challenge for
students with EBD who may struggle with issues of concentration, participation
and comprehension.
The purpose of this study, performed by Trevor Capern and Lorraine Hammond of
Edith Cowen University, is to determine what teacher behaviours impact most
significantly on the formation of positive student/teacher relationships from the
perspective of gifted students and students with emotional and behavioural
disorders (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 47). There are seventy variables
representing teacher behaviours in the quantitative section of this paper (Capern
& Hammond, 2014, p. 48). Some constructs examined within the essay include
positive and negative relationships, discrimination and fairness, respect, humour,
attention and patience. Capern and Hammond have a clear research question
that they state several times and address the most relevant variables in list
form.
Many previous studies are reviewed in the beginning of this paper, and they are
utilized to demonstrate three key points of context for the research being
conducted. Studies conducted by Bibby and Posterski (1992), Johnson (2008) and
Suldo et al. (2009) are used to demonstrate that not only do students primarily
value positive relationships with their teachers but that these relationships
enhance their mental and emotional wellbeing. Ten studies are listed to show
that students with EBD have issues including lower grades and increased risk of
unemployment and incarceration and an additional study by Winner in 1996
indicates that gifted students too face social and academic struggles. Issues of
bias are also acknowledged, recognising that Suldos research, when compared
with the work of Alder (2002) produced different results in terms of what
students values in teacher behaviour correlating with the different racial and
socio-economic constructions of their subject groups, and the authors of this
essay show awareness of this bias. The authors of this study believe they are
addressing a gap in the literature and a social need, as they acknowledge gaps
in this research related to Gifted and EBD students, specifically which teacher
behaviours they value, as the fact that they value positive relationships with
their teachers has already been established (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 4851). Capern and Hammond provide a wealth of evidence for the contextual
claims they are making to begin their essay, and give solid justification for the
importance of their study, though some of the contextual evidence they give
hints that very similar studies have already been conducted i.e. Cafai and Cooper
in Malta (2010), who observed students with EBD citing reasons for positive and
negative relations with their teachers.
This is a mixed-method study conducted in Western Australian secondary
schools. The participants were fifty eight Year 9 and 10 students enrolled in
gifted programs and forty students diagnosed with EBD. The study began with

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the collection of quantitative data through a Student-Teacher Relationship Survey.

The survey is based on the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (Malecki,
Demaray, Elliot, 2001), Wilkins Student-Teacher Relationship Survey: Student
Version (2006) and from Suldos previous study. There are seventy items, each
item describing a type of teacher behaviour and scored from very strongly agree
to strongly disagree on a Likert Scale. The qualitative portion of the research
report took the form of six students from each program discussing the findings of
the survey and some additional data. The focus groups were recorded and
transcribed (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 51-52). These methods of data
collection are highly effective because they have the capacity to collect
information about which behaviours the students value on a scale of most to
least valued and because behaviour is a social construct, the qualitative data
allows for greater understanding and reflection on the listed behaviours. A
greater sample size might assist in a more representative study (Gall, et al 2015,
pp. 87-89) but as this research was undertaken as part of larger study made over
eighteen months there may have been other related studies that allowed for a
wider range of information.
The results of this study have highly significant applications for practise. Two lists
of behaviours were produced, each one based on evidence provided by Gifted
and EBD students respectively. A diagram of correlating results is also included in
the research report. The top ten results for the gifted students included Giving
students enough time to complete assignments and/or prepare for tests,
explain things I dont understand and go beyond using the textbook and use
additional information via, movies, Internet, field trips and personal stories
(Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 52). These results are highly applicable for
creating lesson plans and activities, this is expanded upon in the qualitative
results. The EBD students identify lesson academic behaviours, and focus on
more emotionally and psychologically supportive behaviours, having a
warm/friendly disposition, talking and listening to students and supporting
student learning (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 56). This has less application
for student activity and is more useful to classroom management. However, in
the qualitiative results, this is again expanded upon, and applications such as
give generous amount of time to complete assignments and Show students
step-by-step how to do something are listed (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 57).
Using these two sets of results, it is possible to adapt a HSIE lesson plan and
activity to better suit classes of gifted students and students with
emotional/behavioural disorders.
The lesson plan chosen for analysis and adaption according to the above
research is a sample history lesson taken from the BOSTES website (2014). This
lesson plan consists of one activity, reading and note taking from a textbook
excerpt. The subject of this lesson is the Stage 5 Depth History lesson taken from
the BOSTES website (2014). This lesson plan consists of one activity, reading and
note taking from a textbook excerpt. The subject of this lesson is the Stage 5
Depth Study Movement of Peoples and the text addresses reasons for
immigration between 1750 and 1918. This activity, reading and wrote notation,
is problematic for the purpose of this essay for several reason, such as children
with EBD who lack concentration and the ability to engage with long written texts
and gifted children who are able to process and memorise text quickly and who
are therefore not challenged by the task. The behaviour of the teacher is

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therefore crucial in engaging the students in the subject content, and the lesson
needs to be adapted to suit this teacher-student relationship.

One method of adapting this lesson activity to suit children with EBD, and
ensuring that they experience the teacher behaviour of helping all students, not
just a select few (highlighted in the focus group results) is through differentiated
learning (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Lawrence-Brown indicates that creating multilevel instructions is a valuable method of differentiating a lesson for children with
emotional and behavioural disabilities without socially isolating them from other
students. A method of differentiation would be to divide the texts into numbered
paragraphs, and allow each student to take the next paragraph when they have
completed the previous. This allows each student to move at their own pace,
without being intimidated or overwhelmed by the amount of writing. This also
allows gifted students to progress at a faster rate. Another possible method of
adaptation would be to have the text read aloud, either by a teacher or students,
as well as providing the students with a written copy, so they are able to gain
meaning both through written and verbal communication. At appropriate
intervals, the teacher should halt the class and summarise a portion of the text,
so students can determine if they are on the right track. Also allow time here for
students to ask any questions. Another method could be to provide several
methods of summarising; a table with headings or a set of headings with dot
points for example, allowing students to choose how much scaffolding they

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require to summarise the text (Clarke and Pittaway, p. 252-254). The important
part of ensuring that the learning activity assists each student is timing. Giving
each student as much time and assistance as is required is crucial. If students
complete the task, provide a list of the other, more engaging activities, such as
writing a story about or drawing a picture of an aspect of immigration that will
encourage them to complete the summary more quickly, and may engage gifted
students who may finish the task more quickly.
The Universal Design for Learning developed by the Centre for Applied Special
Technology outlines three methods for creating lesson activities that enhance
learning for children with EBDs and other learning disabilities. Two of these
processes are expression (alternate means of communication for students) and
engagement (strategies for empowering learning), which can fulfilling the
behaviours that the quantitative data collected by Capern and Hammond
determined to be highly valuable to students, including not discriminating
against specific students due to ability and give me a chance to explain
myself. If the lesson plan is adapted as above, an assessment period at the end
of the activity can allow students to express themselves and feel empowered.
This could take the form of a paired or group discussion in which the teacher
allows students to compare their summaries or a class discussion. A list of
headings or a series of mind maps on the board, filled in by volunteer students,
give students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned. Striving to
ensure that all student have offered at least one piece of learned information or
a piece of information shared in their pair or group will allow them to feel as
though their voices have been heard. This can also assist the teacher in
determining if any students are missing out on information.
Cooperative learning can be highly beneficial for gifted students (VantasselBaska, et al, 1992), especially in basic skills and memorisation tasks and critical
thinking tasks. In the study, gifted students noted that the teacher behaviours
they valued most strongly were allow students to get help from other students
and by allowing and supporting cooperative learning, teachers can allow
students to help and support each other. This task could be adapted to suit the
jigsaw method, in which students are grouped (grouping different skill levels is
highly recommended, as this allows students who are having trouble, perhaps
even those with EBDs, to benefit from others knowledge) before being assigned
a number or letter and regrouped according to that. Each new group receives a
subject i.e. Industrial Revolution, Agricultural revolution, and must discuss and
summarise this topic before returning to their old group and sharing what they
have learned (Clarke and Pittaway, p. 252-254). This is useful for several
reasons; it encourages students who may not have progressed as far as others to
practise engaging with texts and self-education, while more progressed students
can gain knowledge and experience though peer teaching. This also activates
the learning process by encouraging movement and discussion. By allowing
students to learn in this manner, the relationship between the teacher and
student is strengthened, because they are allowing the students to work
together and to feel trusted and independent, another valued element of teacher
behaviour listed by gifted students (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 54). By
circulating the class and questioning groups to determine whether students are
working effectively and allowing everyone t contribute, the teacher is also

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exhibiting behaviour considered helpful and valuable by EBD students, who may
feel left out and neglected in group settings (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 57)
Go beyond the textbook is in the list of top ten most important behaviours
for gifted students (Capern & Hammond, 2014, p. 54). In a study performed in
2008, hands-on practise and practical application of skills were listed as two of
the most crucial elements of successfully engaging gifted students (Chval and
Davis, p. 270). This would also be a useful technique for engaging children with
emotional disorders who may find straight rote memorisation difficult or dull.
Allowing students to create different forms of summary would be a way to go
beyond the textbook. Methods might include a visual timeline with images or a
PowerPoint. The jigsaw group project mentioned above might culminate in a
large, colourful poster or book, with each student adding their contribution. This
will further engaged the students in the learning process, as they need to take in
information in order to participate. This type of activity also strengthens
student/teacher relationships, as students will associate teachers with activities
they find engaging and enjoyable.
The lesson activity described above uses a number of teacher behaviours and
practises shown through the research conducted by Capern and Hammond to
increase student engagement and academic and psychosocial wellbeing. It will
also enhance the relationships between gifted and EBD students by giving them
access to supportive interactions.
Word Count: 2199
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Lawrence-Brown, D. (2004). Differentiated Instruction: Inclusive Strategies for

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