EXPLORING POSITIVE CULTURE INCENTIVES IN THE CLASSROOM FOR BULLY PREVENTION

Despite the efforts of many, bullying behaviors continue to be on the rise in schools. However, limited research has been conducted to support the bullied population of students through positive culture initiatives in the classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ support for the bullied population of students through positive culture initiatives in the classroom. The conceptual framework was based on ecological systems theory related to bullying involvement and classroom initiatives, as well as the portion of the role construction theory focused on positive communication and relationships. This study was conducted in a school district in the Southwestern United States. Data were collected from individual interviews with 14 experienced teachers. Data analysis involved open coding and categorization to identify patterns and themes. Results revealed that teachers are genuinely interested in creating a classroom that is conducive to learning. Further, results indicated that it would be useful to conduct more studies to explore teachers’ support for bullied students through positive culture initiatives in the classroom. This study contributes to social change by providing instructors and educational leaders with a deeper understanding of the pedagogy teachers employ in the classroom to support bullied students by using positive classroom initiatives and how they can create positive classroom environments.