Teachers and counselors were surveyed about their perceptions of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) as an effective classroom tool. The survey measured responses on a Likert scale regarding how SFBT impacts student-teacher relationships, social competence, and classroom behaviors. Results found high mean scores across components, though statistical significance was limited by the small sample size. While not definitive, results somewhat supported the hypothesis that educators perceive SFBT as effective. Future research with larger, balanced samples is needed to generalize the findings.

1. Educators and the Solution-
Focused Approach:
Teachers and Counselors on the Effectiveness of SFBT in the Classroom
KRIZIA ARIANNE GOZO, PAUL MARVIN LAZARRA, JERICHO MICHAEL S. TOBIAS
ED620 – THE COUNSELING PROCESS: THEORY
DR. GEORGE KALLINGAL
FALL 2016

2. Introduction:
Background
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support, or PBIS, is an ongoing
initiative of the Guam Department of Education that places
emphasis on supporting appropriate student behaviors to create
positive school environments. It shares many traits with Solution-
Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT, or solution-focused approach), such as
its positive orientation, present-focused approach and the use of
encouraging language.

3. Introduction:
Research Question
Do teachers and school
counselors perceive the solution-
focused approach (SFBT) as an
effective tool in the classroom?

4. Introduction:
Hypothesis
Teachers and counselors perceive the
solution-focused approach as an effective
tool in the classroom.

5. Introduction:
Definition(s)
1. Solution-Focused Approach – assumes that all students have some knowledge of what would make
their life better and already possess at least the minimum skills necessary to create solutions. This
approach is action-oriented and future-focused, where educators guide students to accomplish
their goals. Educators are not focused on the present problem(s) and accept a student's reality.
2. The classroom is broken down into three (3) components defined by Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002:
◦ Teacher-Student Relationships – can include teacher sensitivity, support and warmth.
◦ Social Competence – refers to a person's ability to get along with other people. A child's social
competence is affected by how well he or she communicates with other children and with
adults.
◦ Classroom Problem Behaviors – undesirable behaviors that affect not only the child’s learning,
but also the classroom’s academic, social and emotional climate.

6. Introduction:
Component(s)
Student-Teacher Relationships:
◦ Mutual respect
◦ Consistent communication
◦ Emotionally-safe learning space
◦ True equity
Social Competence:
◦ Self-regulation
◦ Interpersonal knowledge and skills
◦ Positive self-identity
◦ Cultural competence
◦ Acquire social values
◦ Planning and decision-making skills

7. Methods:
Materials
Google Forms – online survey used to collect data.
◦ Recorded demographics:
◦ Gender,
◦ Age,
◦ Position;
◦ Survey divided into three (3) sections pertaining to classroom components:
◦ Student-Teacher Relationships 4 questions;
◦ Social Competence 6 questions;
◦ Classroom Problem Behaviors 1 question – TOTAL = 11 questions overall;
◦ Measured responses using a Likert scale:
◦ 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
SPSS – to analyze data recorded.

8. Methods:
Sample of Survey Question(s)
Student-Teacher Relationships:
◦ The Solution-Focused approach increases mutual respect (showing respect to your students and helping
them through their difficulties) in the classroom between teachers and students.
Social Competence:
◦ The Solution-Focused approach increases students' capacity for self-regulation (impulse control,
delayed gratification, resisting temptation and peer pressure, reflecting on one's feelings and
monitoring themselves).
Classroom Problem Behaviors:
◦ The application of the Solution-Focused approach in the classroom reduces classroom problem
behaviors.

9. Methods:
Procedures
1. Send link to survey via e-mail, messenger, etc. to participants.
2. Survey begins with introduction to experiment, the research question and definition(s).
3. Complete Demographics Information Sheet.
4. Complete Survey: Teacher-Student Relationships.
5. Complete Survey: Increasing Social Competency.
6. Complete Survey: Reducing Classroom Behaviors.

10. Methods:
Participants
Demographics
60 Participants
◦ Gender:
◦ Male – 68.3% (n = 41)
◦ Female – 30% (n = 18)
◦ Prefer not to say – 0.7% (n = 1)
30.0%
68.3%
0.7%
Gender
Male
Female
Prefer not to say

11. Methods:
Participants
Demographics
60 Participants
◦ Age:
◦ 18 – 25 (n = 10)
◦ 26 – 35 (n = 15)
◦ 36 – 45 (n = 16)
◦ 46 – 55 (n = 11)
◦ 56 – 65 (n = 7)
◦ > 65 (n = 1)
16.7%
25.0%
26.7%
18.3%
11.7%
1.7%
Age
18 - 25
26 - 35
36 - 45
46 - 55
56 - 65
> 65

12. Methods:
Participants
Demographics
60 Participants
◦ Position:
◦ Teacher:
◦ Elementary School (n = 21)
◦ Middle School (n = 3)
◦ High School (n = 17)
◦ Counselor:
◦ Elementary School (n = 6)
◦ Middle School (n = 1)
◦ High School (n = 6)
◦ Administration
◦ Principal (n = 3)
◦ Vice Principal (n = 0)
◦ Other (n = 3)
35.0%
5.0%
28.3%
10.0%
1.7%
10.0%
5.0%
5.0%
Position
Elementary School Teacher Middle School Teacher High School Teacher
Elementay School Counselor Middle School Counselor High School Counselor
Principal Other
Total:
Teachers (n = 41)
Counselors (n = 13)
Administration/Other (n = 6)

13. Methods:
Participants
Responses:
◦Attrition Rate:
◦ 10.0% (n = 6)
◦Used for Analysis:
◦ 90.0% (n = 54)
90.0%
10.0%
Participant Responses
Valid
Invalid

14. Results:
Reliability
Survey – Overall: ⍺ = 0.896
Sub-scales:
Student-Teacher Relationships  ⍺ = 0.868
Social Competence  ⍺ = 0.831
Classroom Problem Behaviors:  ⍺ = unable to determine

15. Results:
Mean – Overall
3.94
3.89
3.98
3.87
3.67
3.94
3.96
3.94
4.00
3.96
3.69
0 1 2 3 4 5
Mutual Respect
Consistent Communication
Emotionally-Safe Learning Space
True Equity
Self-Regulation
Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills
Positive Self-Identity
Cultural Competence
Acquire Social Values
Planning and Decision-Making Skills
Classroom Problem Behaviors
Response Value
Component(s)oftheClassroom
Mean of Responses (n = 54)
p = 0.270
p = 0.145
p = 0.515
p = 0.403
p = 0.004
p = 0.327
p = 0.293
p = 0.673
p = 0.603
p = 0.379
p = 0.490
ANALYSIS:
Nonparametric Bivariate Correlations

16. Discussion:
Results and Hypothesis
Teachers and counselors perceive the
solution-focused approach as an effective
tool in the classroom.
Based on the results, the hypothesis was somewhat supported in this study.
◦ While not statistically significant, the data shows a trend that supports a
positive relationship between position and effectiveness of the solution-
focused approach in the classroom.

17. Discussion:
Limitations and Future Research
◦ Uneven number of subjects in each position.
◦ In the future, strive for equal distributions in each position.
◦ Sample size too small for study.
◦ Statistical significance is strongly affected by sample size (smaller sample
size, harder to generalize results).
◦ In the future, use a larger sample size – try to get more counselors to
participate.
◦ For future research, compare between groups to identify potential effects of
position on perceived effectiveness.

18. Questions?
Reference(s):
Rimm-Kaufman, S.E., Early, D.M., Cox, M.J. Saluja, G., Pinata, R.C., Bradley, R.H., et al. (2002). Early
behavioral attributes and teachers’ sensitivity as predictors of competent behavior in the
kindergarten classroom. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 23, 451-470.
Thank you!