Comparisons of teacher reinforcement schedules for students with different social class backgrounds.

Frequencies of teacher reinforcement of lower- and middle-class students were systematically tabulated with the Teacher Reinforcement Schedule. Six observers made a total of 30 min of recordings within each of 12 1st- and 12 3rd-grade classrooms. At both grade levels, classes were equally divided into those with predominantly lower- or middle-class students. A series of repeated measures analyses of variance indicated that specific types of reinforcement were given significant more often to middle- than to lower-class children. Reliable teacher reinforcement differences between grade levels were also located, as well as significantly Pupil Socioeconomic Status-Grade Level interactions. By combining categories, it was shown that middle-class students received significantly more nonverbal reinforcements than lower-class students; however, a reliable difference in frequency of verbal reinforcement was not observed. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)