PEER REVIEW 2

Peer Review

Part 1
Goodman-Scott, E., Doyle, B., & Brott, P. (2013). An Action Research Project to Determine the
Utility of Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support for Elementary School Bullying
Prevention. Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 120.

Title
Provide the title of the
research proposal. It is
usually a statement based on
the research question–short
and to the point.

An Action Research Project to Determine the Utility of Bully
Prevention in Positive Behavior Support for Elementary School
Bullying Prevention

Research Topic
Describe the specific topic
to be studied in a paragraph.
(Be sure that the research
question relates to the
topic).

Establishing an organized learning environment that is characterized
by mutual understanding and respect enhances the teaching and
learning experiences of the teacher and learners, respectively. One of
the most important achievements of a teacher is to create a safe
learning space where students do not feel threatened or unsafe.
Learners need to feel safe for learning to take place. The students will
take part in classroom discussions if they feel that they are in a safe
space. Research shows that being in a safe classroom environment
changes what and how students learn (Holley & Steiner, 2005). Some
of the factors that contribute to safety or lack of it within the

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classroom environment include the instructor, students themselves,
and classroom characteristics such as a dark or crowded classroom.
The research is based on a bullying prevention initiative. The
research seeks to find ways through which an initiative can be used
to reduce bullying in schools and thus enhance the creation of safe
spaces. Bullying is a threat to safety. Students who are bullied feel
demotivated and threatened to go to school. The research seeks to
study the effectiveness of a bullying prevention program before it can
be implemented ins schools within the district.

Research Problem

Provide a brief statement
that fully describes the
problem being addressed.
Present this in one sentence
or no more than one clear,
concise paragraph.

The research problem the effect that bullying has on learning
environment safety. The researchers seek to identify the effectiveness
of a bullying prevention initiative in curbing or reducing incidences
of bullying. The researchers seek to identify how the initiative can be
used to prevent bullying at all school levels so that student safety can
be enhanced while within the learning environment.

Research Purpose

Write a brief statement that
fully describes the intent of
the study or the reason for

The purpose of the research was to identify a practical and
participatory approach to bullying within the district. The researchers
identified a bully prevention initiative known as School-wide
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SPBI), a preventive
framework that is data-driven, is systemic and is based on the

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conducting the study.
Present this in one sentence
or no more than one clear,
concise paragraph.

behavior of students (Goodman-Scott et al., 2013). The framework
provided guidelines on how to teach students appropriate behaviors
that would help enhance safety. The purpose of the research,
therefore, was to identify the effectiveness of SPBI in preventing
bullying within the learning environment so that a decision could be
made on whether to implement the initiative in other schools within
the district.

Research Participants

Describe in detail the
participants of the study.

The research participants included a bullying prevention committee.
The committee was formed to develop the Framework for Bullying
Prevention. The committee was made up of parents, administrators at
the school and district levels, and students. The framework was then
to be sent to schools that would implement it and monitor its impact
on students. 52 elementary schools participated in this research, and
there were 70 elementary school counselors. Students in grades k-5
also took part. In total, there were 31,935 elementary school students
that took part in the research. The student-counselor ratio was 456:1.
The school counselors were critical to this research because they
were tasked with providing reports on the impact of the bullying
prevention initiative on students, parents, school personnel, and the
school culture in general. These were critical participants in the
study. The school counselors’ reports were used to collaborate
reports made by students. The demographics of the students who
took part in the study did not change significantly over the course of

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five years when the research took place. 57% of the total students
were white, 7% Black, 16% Asian, Hispanic of any race were 15%,
and multiple races comprised of 5%.

Research Question(s)
List the primary research
question and any sub-
questions addressed by the
proposed study. The
primary research question
should flow logically from
the problem statement and
purpose statement and be
very similar in wording
although phrased as a
question. This may include
alternative and null
hypotheses as appropriate.

What is the process of creating a district-wide bullying initiative,
including the initial years of implementation, to assist other school
counselors and districts in their bullying prevention efforts?
(Goodman-Scott et al., 2013).
How can a school-wide bullying prevention initiative based on Bully
Prevention in Positive Behavior Support (BP-PBS) be implemented
within a school?
What is the effectiveness of a school-wide bullying prevention
initiative in curbing bullying in schools?

Literature Review
Section

Provide a brief overview of
the conceptual framework

The authors have provided literature that supports a program or
programs that can be implemented to curb bullying in schools. The
research is founded on information provided by The American
School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards for
Students Personal/Social Development Standards, which asserts the

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upon which the study is
based. Identify the seminal
research and theories that
inform the study. Discuss
the topics and themes that
are used to organize the
literature review.

importance of ensuring that students acquire knowledge,
interpersonal skills, and attitudes that will help them understand the
importance of respecting not only themselves but others as well.
ASCA also states that the knowledge and skills should help students
understand safety and possess skills that enhance their survival. The
standards provided by ASCA guide school and district administrators
on ways to enhance safety within schools (ASCA, 2011).
The literature review is not organized in distinct themes. However,
some of the themes that stand out include zero-tolerance policies.
The researchers provide evidence to show that such policies are
ineffective in curbing bullying. The authors also explain the
effectiveness of Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support (BP-
PBS), a program similar to the bullying initiative that was being
studied in the research. The researchers found that studies show that
schools that have implemented BP-PBS have lower cases of student
suspension, and bullying cases are relatively few. The research builds
on such themes explained in the literature review.

Research Design

Describe the research design
and state the type of
quantitative or qualitative
approach used.

The research used a quantitative research design.
Data was collected using surveys. Student counselors used online
surveys to collect data from students. Data was also collected using
interviews. School counselors asked questions to get more data on
areas within the school environment that students were more likely to
be bullied.

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Ethical Considerations

Describe all ethical
considerations and provide a
rationale for the
considerations.

One of the main ethical concerns is informed consent. The research
involved minor participants. Students in grades k-5 are considered
minors and cannot consent to a study. Consent practices are founded
on the assumption that minors do not have the capacity to make
decisions that is equivalent to that of adults (Felzmann, 2009).
Therefore, these cannot consent to a study. Researchers had to seek
informed consent from parents, caregivers, or guardians before
involving students in the study. The other ethical issue is
confidentiality. Students who share sensitive details about their
bullying ordeals need assurance that their privacy will be upheld.

Research Findings

Report all research findings
and conclusions found from
the study.

The research findings showed that the bullying prevention initiative
was effective in positively enhancing safety within the school. The
conclusion was that the bullying prevention initiative positively
impacted the elementary school and the school as well. The
researchers recommended that the bullying prevention initiative
should be implemented in different schools (Goodman-Scott et al.,
2013). Schools should thus implement the initiative and tailor it to
meet the different learning environments within schools.

Need for the Study

Describe the need for the
Study. Provide a rationale or
need for studying the

The study was necessary to establish the effectiveness or
ineffectiveness of the bullying program initiative in preventing
bullying among students. The study was necessary for school and
district administrators to know how effective bullying prevention
initiatives are and how they can best be implemented within schools.

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particular issue or
phenomenon.

Considering that safety is critical to the success of the learning
process, any threat to safety, such as bullying, should be addressed to
ensure that barriers to student success are eliminated.

Practical Implications

Describe any stated
practical implications.

One of the implications is on school counseling. Researchers called
on stakeholders and school counselors to consider implementing
programs to help prevent bullying in schools. When such programs
are systematically implemented, students and staff within schools are
able to efficiently and effectively utilize resources availed to them
within the learning environment. Secondly, the implementation of
programs within schools should be a collaborative effort. The success
rate of programs is higher when stakeholders, students, school
counselors, school administrators, and students are all involved in
such processes. Another implication is that school counselors should
use action research as it is more effective. It is rooted in practice and
helps in making changes based on data collected.

Part Two:

Relevancy

As an educator, I have a responsibility to ensure that students are in a safe learning
environment. Bullying negatively affects the safety of students. The study is relevant to my study
as it presents an initiative that I can implement in school to enhance the safety of students. The
study also explains the effectiveness of the program in ensuring that a safe learning environment
is achieved. The study has shown that any initiative needs the cooperation of the school

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administrators, school personnel, school counselors, parents, and teachers for effectiveness to be
achieved. According to Sharma (2015), planning school safety is a constant and ongoing process
that is comprehensive in nature and thus should involve all concerned stakeholders and the
community in its entirety. Thus, it is evident that school safety is a pertinent issue that should be
handled and addressed not only by a classroom teacher but by everyone involved.
Further, the study is relevant to my career as an educator because it asserts the centrality
of school safety to student’s academic success. The authors state that bullying prevention
programs help enhance school safety, which is critical to the creation of a positive school
climate. The general school climate can be improved with the implementation of an effective
bullying prevention program (Robert et al., 2012). Further, the study has asserted one of my
sentiments in regard to the effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies. I have been opposed to such
policies. The authors in the study have explained the ineffectiveness of zero-tolerance policies in
curbing bullying. This gives me confidence as a teacher in opposing zero-tolerance policies.
There are other interventions that are effective in fostering positive behavior among learners.
Such interventions include initiatives that seek to discourage undesirable behaviors while
teaching students knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will lead to positive behavior.
Reflect
A completed action research proposal shows work by other researchers or scholars
initiated with the aim of solving a problem. The first step of reviewing an action research
proposal is to first identify the topic and title of the research. The second step is to identify the
research topic; this helps in enhancing understanding of what is being covered. The research
topic relates directly to the topic that is being covered in the research proposal. An action
research proposal covers a problem that researchers are investigating so that they can

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recommend solutions or progress being made to address the problem. Thus, the next step entails
identifying the research problem. After which, one identifies the purpose of the research. This
shows the intent or motivation of the action research. It closely relates to the need of the study.
Here, one identifies the reason for conducting the research. It shows why the research was
necessary.
Further, research participants are key in an action research proposal. It is important to
know the details of the subjects used in the study. This helps in identifying ethical considerations
in carrying out the research or collecting data. The process of reviewing an action research
proposal cannot end without identifying the research question or questions. These are very
similar to the research problem, but they are phrased in question format. The literature review
section provides the theoretical or conceptual framework on which the research is founded. The
next step usually involves looking at the research design and the approach used. The reviewer
then looks at the research findings, the conclusion o the study, as well as the implications of the
study.

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References

American School Counselor Association. (2011). The professional school counselor and the
promotion of safe schools through conflict resolution and bullying/harassment
prevention. American School Counselor Association Position Statement. Retrieved from
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/ PS_Bullying.pdf
Felzmann, H. (2009). Ethical issues in school-based research.
Goodman-Scott, E., Doyle, B., & Brott, P. (2013). An Action Research Project to Determine the
Utility of Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support for Elementary School Bullying
Prevention. Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 120.
Holley, L. C., & Steiner, S. (2005). Safe space: Student perspectives on the classroom
environment. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 49-64.
Robert, S., Zhang, J., & Truman, J. (2012). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2011.
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of
Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department
of Justice. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/ pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012002
Sharma, S. (2015). Promoting risk taking in mathematics classrooms: The importance of creating
a safe learning environment.