Psychology's contributions to classroom management

Abstract

Classroom management (CRM) has been associated with discipline, control, or other terms that connote reducing unacceptable student behavior. However, CRM involves not merely responding effectively when problems occur, but also preventing problems from occurring by creating environments that encourage learning and appropriate behavior. Teachers' managerial abilities have been found to positively relate to students' behavior and achievement in every process-product study to date. Researchers have consistently identified the components necessary for effective CRM. However, no one has surveyed working teachers to ascertain the extent to which teachers use the research findings in their classrooms. A survey was developed in order to attempt to answer this question. The survey consisted of three sections asking questions on demographics, classroom rules, and classroom child management. One hundred and forty-six teachers from U.S. school districts in the Midwest, South, and Southwest were surveyed. Results indicated that, overall, teachers reported the use of appropriate CRM procedures in relatively high frequencies. However, the high percentage of districts reporting the use of corporal punishment was disturbing given the research findings regarding its lack of effectiveness. Along with the presentation of the survey results, this article also discusses how the data on CRM, collected by psychologists, has contributed to improvements in teacher behavior and student achievement and the apparent gap between best practice and actual practice. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Classroom behaviour management: educational psychologists' views on effective practice

“…This is consistent with other authors who adopt terms such as classroom management, behaviour management or similar variants, without endorsing a particular orientation, or while being critical of the controlling aspects of some other approaches (e.g. Bromfield 2006;Cothran, Kulinna, and Garrahy 2003;Hayes, Hindle, and Withington 2007;Lake 2004;Little and Akin-Little 2008;Lloyd Bennett 2005). The reader is invited to construe references to classroom behaviour management in the present paper in a similarly open-minded manner.…”

Positive Classroom Management: Effects of Disruption Management Climate on Behaviour and Satisfaction with Teacher // Clima positivo de gestión del aula: efectos del clima de gestión de la disrupción en el comportamiento y en la satisfacción con el profesorado

“…(2) What are their effects on disruption? As Little and Akin-Little (2008) point, in many studies classroom management has been associated with concepts such as discipline or behaviour control. These concepts in some way connote certain degree of aversive action in response to disruptive behaviour for reducing it, etc.…”

Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting Style Among Jewish and Arab Mothers in Israel

“…This rich body of research has focused on punishments meted out by teachers and its negative influence on academic achievement, especially corporal punishment (Docan, 2006;Guskey, 2004;Little & Akin-Little, 2008). Alternatively, research on the effect of parental punishment is relatively scant.…”