Essay On Behaviour Management In Classroom

The purpose of this study is to examine what strategies Australian teachers carry out in their classrooms to minimise behavioural disruptions so that teaching and learning experience can be the focus point of lessons. Behavioural and engagement problems are continuous occurrences within Australian classrooms that impacts on student learning. Classroom strategies are suppose to be implemented to support teachers to manage and deal with challenging behaviours but there has been very little research on whether these strategies are used in Australian classrooms. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap regarding behaviour management strategies in Australian classrooms by conducting a survey of teachers’ self- reported use of behaviour management

strategies within their classrooms and class observations conducted by the researcher.

The process and methodology of this study is through a questionnaire for a sample of teachers as well as observations of teachers in classrooms. The survey questionnaire is customized to cater for the Australian demographic, such as the educational background of the participants. Participants for this study comprised of practising teachers from one educational State High School within a rural area of Queensland. From the collated data, the results may find that teachers’ report the use of research-based management strategies (those identified in the survey), as well as approaches appropriate to the school location, and ethos of that particular school.

Review of Relevant Literature
Behaviour management refers to the actions taken by the teacher to create and maintain an environment that actively supports and facilitates meaningful teaching and learning in the classroom.

This includes organising the physical environment of the classroom, establishing relationships with students, and developing rules and procedures so that students know how to behave in the classroom, so that it is a safe environment. Theorists such as Marzano, Marzano, and Pickering (2003), Brophy (2006), and Charles (2008) who have focused on classroom management support these beliefs.

The research shows that behaviour management is a multi-dimensional challenge that challenges teachers, as there is more than one underlying factor on misbehaviour in classrooms. According to Evertson and Weinstein (2006), the purpose of behaviour management is to create and sustain an orderly environment for student learning, and to enhance the social and moral growth of students. In support of this perspective, they suggest that teachers carry out a number of specific tasks such as:

“Develop caring, supportive relationships with and among students; organise and implement instruction in ways that optimize student’s access to learning; use group classroom management methods that encourage students’ engagement in academic tasks; promote the development of students’ social skills and self-regulation; and use appropriate interventions to assist students with behaviour problems” (Evertson and Weinstein, 2006,

p5).
This approach to behaviour management is inclusive of students but for some teachers could be overwhelming in terms of their teaching experience and management responsibilities with classrooms. There is a main assumption is teachers are prepared, and can confidently carry out these various roles and responsibilities when it comes to behaviour management, but more so that teachers will be supported to engage effectively with these tasks.

Behaviour management is more comprehensive than responding to behaviour and behaviour-correction or reactive and preventative resolutions (Little & Akin-Little, 2003; Procknow, 2006). A comprehensive approach is about creating a climate and culture of learning, which begins with classroom management. Little and Akin-Little (2003) conducted a review of ‘best practice’ classroom management strategies and established that there are a wide range of effective strategies which teachers can use to support and improve their practice. The strategies employed will depend on a number of factors such as the ecology of the classroom, student-teacher, student-student, teacher-parent interactions and modes of communication, the classroom climate and culture, the experiences and issues students’ bring with them from the wider ecological systems in which they live; resource teachers of learning and behaviour, and the nature of the problem behaviour (Little & Akin-Little, 2003; Procknow, 2006).

However, there are various approaches to classroom management. Some are based within a ‘teacher-oriented model’ (Beaman, 2006), others support a ‘student-oriented model’ (Kuffman, Mostert, Trent, & Pullen, 2006), support a ‘group-oriented model (Glasser, 1969). There are also alternative models outside these ideological perspectives (Lewis, 2009), which indicate that there is a wide range of classroom management strategies to support student responsibility and appropriate behaviour.

The literature shows that classroom disruptions take up valuable learning time and that problem behaviours affect the learning opportunities and potential achievements of all students (Lewis, 2009). However, teachers continue to raise behaviour management as a critical concern. Given this rhetoric, it appears that teachers’ understanding of classroom management strategies learnt from research is not being put into practice. Furthermore, it appears that teachers are not being taught the skills required for effective classroom management. This includes pre-service teacher training and on-going professional development. Research in Australia on this particular area has been limited. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap by investigating what Australian teachers do to manage learning and behaviour in the classroom.

Research Question
The main research question is ‘How do the classroom management strategies implemented by teachers, affect the engagement and behaviour of students?’ to help answer this main research question, three sub-questions have been developed. These questions are as follows:
1. Do teachers use more than one classroom management strategy within one lesson? If so, which strategies?
2. What strategies do Australian teachers’ use?
3. What classroom management strategies do teachers find are ineffective?
These sub-questions, as well as the main research question are all portable and applicable to the majority of school contexts. They are also have a clear focus and are manageable.

Research Design & Method
This research study adopts observational and survey approaches to secondary school teachers. However, there is opportunity within the survey (teachers’ responses to questions) to gain some qualitative data about other approaches and to report teacher narratives regarding the use of particular models of practice and classroom rules. This study was conducted in Australia. This research method will be a mix between qualitative and quantitative methods of approach. The research design will be an experimental and longitudinal study, with participants were asked to report on their actual use of important classroom management practices by completing a survey questionnaire in their own time. Participation was voluntary and no identifying information was required of the participants.

The survey used in this study (Appendix A) was developed for teachers in Australia. The survey was then distributed to teachers in a particular Queensland school. The survey comprised of six sections. The first section detailed information on teacher demographics (gender, educational qualifications, and years of teaching), as well as school and class demographics (levels taught, type of classroom, and teacher aide support). The second section asks teachers to give a piece of advice about improving classroom management. The third section examined how comfortable teachers are in managing student behaviour. The fourth section investigated classroom-based management strategies used to deal with disruptive behaviours. The fifth and sixth sections look at teachers working with parents and planning and support given from the school.

The observations (Appendix B) that will be conducted in various subjects, with different teachers, will focus on classroom rules that help reduce disruptive behaviours (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995), while promoting positive interactions (Gunter, Jack, DePaepe, Reed, & Harrison, 1994). Rules provide a basis for the teacher to “catch them being good”. When classrooms have clear rules for appropriate behaviour that are consistently taught and reinforced, teachers spend less time addressing challenging behaviours (Jones & Jones, 2001). The use of classroom rules and routines is a powerful, preventative component of classroom management (Kerr & Nelson, 2006; Little & Akin-Little, 2009), as the rules establish the behavioural context of the classroom, specifying what behaviours are expected, what behaviours will be reinforced, and the consequences for inappropriate behaviour.

The data that will be collected from the survey will focus on teachers’ perceptions of their role. On focusing teacher efficacy, the data will refer to the teachers’ belief in his/her capability to influence students’ academic achievements (Ross, 1994). The data will be collated and analysed, specifically, data on percentages and frequencies will be used to calculate and to illustrate patterns of classroom management strategies. A further analysis of the data will examine the relationship between the relative experience of the teachers and their use of research-based classroom management strategies. The observations of particular teachers will either back up or produce new information that the survey did not produce.

Conclusion
In conclusion, classroom management is a collaborative effort and in order to raise student achievement and manage student behaviour teachers need an enhanced, accumulative skill-set that will move them from ‘best practice to next practice’ in accordance with the changing nature of student learning and behaviour (Rogers, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine what Australia teachers indicated they do in their classrooms to minimise behavioural disruptions so that teaching and learning curricular can be optimized. Through the two instruments – observations and survey, I will be able to indicate whether teachers perceived they communicated and monitored their students frequently during lessons and could attend to more than one event without undue disruption. In regards to teacher efficacy, the instruments will allow teachers to question whether their classroom management strategies are adequate. The results from the data will enable any implications of teaching practices and student learning to be found. Building a culture of on-going professional learning in the school ensures that teachers can continue to do better than they are doing using effective classroom-based management strategies to raise student achievement and minimize disruptions.