EDFD220RACHEL PARAMAN S00118748TUTORIAL: 9AM FRIDAY

EDFD220 ASSESSMENT TASK TWO: INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

RACHEL PARAMAN S00118748

Topic: Behaviour Management.

Many factors influence on-task behaviour within the classroom however it is ultimately the

influence of the teacher and how they use these factors which is of most significance.

Discuss.

The classroom is constructed by a myriad of different influences, all of which interrelate and impact

on how students behave and learn. While some of these factors do not focus on the teacher directly,

the teacher is still of optimal importance as they manipulate these factors to facilitate the learning

within the classroom. The influence of the teacher is paramount in regards to the nature of the

behaviour which is exhibited in the classroom. On-task behaviours are those which are positively

associated with learning and include listening and participating in class discussions, asking questions,

reading and writing during set activities and demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning

(Beaman & Wheldall, 2010). Calling out in class out of turn, disrupting others, making silly noises as

well as wondering the classroom are examples of off-task behaviours as they hinder both the

student and their peers from learning and veer the focus away from the classroom task

(Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis, 2008). The teacher can promote on-task behaviour by using

preventative strategies such as the proactive approach, by creating active learning spaces which

encourage optimal participation, by setting learning goals which focus on mastery rather than

performance and by allowing children to take ownership of their learning. It is also important to

consider the teacher themselves and their attitude towards the classroom when considering the way

that students behave within the learning setting. It is argued by some that the teachers influence

can prolong and stimulate the incidence of undesirable behaviour with respect to the reactive

approach, however if utilised effectively, the reactive approach has also been correlated with a

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positive influence to learning. While there are many factors that impact on learning and behaviour in

the classroom, it is the influence of the teacher on these factors which facilitates on-task or off-task

behaviour.

Clunies-Ross, Little and Kienhuis (2008) argue the importance of the role of the teacher in promoting

on-task behaviour in relation to the proactive approach. If the teacher focuses on preventative

strategies which are proactive and therefore are positive, it is believed that the students will

continue to engage in the behaviour which is favourable as opposed to the behaviour which is off

task and inappropriate (Clunies-Ross, Little & Kleinhuis, 2008). Proactive strategies include making a

list of class rules at the beginning of the year so that the children know what is expected of them

within the classroom and what consequences will follow if these rules are not obeyed (Little et al.,

2002; Safran & Oswald, 2003 as cited in Clunies-Ross, Little & Keinhuis, 2008). Other preventative

strategies include praise and positive reinforcement of desired behaviour immediately after they

have occurred with the hope that the behaviour will continue to occur in the future (Clunies-Ross,

Little & Kienhuis, 2008). Undesirable behaviour can also be ignored and it has been found that the

children who are seeking attention soon learn that attention will only be given for desirable

behaviour thus appropriate behaviour persists and inappropriate behaviour desists (Clunies-Ross,

Little & Kienhhuis, 2008). Beaman and Wheldall (2010) have also explored the notion of praise and

positive reinforcement in their studies on the approval approach which is very similar to the

proactive approach and have concluded similar findings. Both studies have shown a positive

correlation with increased on-task behaviour and decreased disruptive behaviour. On-task behaviour

is further strengthened when the praise and positive reinforcement clearly identifies which

behaviour is being approved with reference to the rules list created at the beginning of the year

(Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis, 2008). The teachers influence on this approach is crucial in order for

it to be deemed effective and this heavily relies on the consistency in which it is delivered (Wilks,

1996 as cited in (Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis, 2008).

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Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai (2008) extend the notion of the proactive approach in

their studies on the active classroom approach. The idea of the active classroom focuses on the

interaction between the teacher and the students and encourages children to take ownership of

their learning by being active participants. Similar to the proactive approach, the active classroom

relies on preventative strategies. A set of class rules is established at the beginning of the year,

however the children and the teacher work together to make these rules, giving the children

ownership of their learning space (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). In an active

classroom, the teacher roves the classroom listening to students and encouraging behaviour that is

congruent with the class rules and redirecting behaviour which does not follow the rules (Calvin,

Sugai, Good & Lee as cited in Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai, 2008). This is also known

as active supervision (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). In order for active

classrooms to be effective the teacher must present the learning in a way which is interesting,

engaging and provides optimal opportunity for student participation (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch,

Myers & Sugai , 2008). This relies on knowing the students well and knowing what motivates them to

learn. Children who are interested and feel included in their learning are more likely to engage in

on-task behaviour such as listening to teacher instruction and participating in class work and

discussion (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). Response opportunities such as

allowing children to write their ideas on the board is a method which promotes student participation

and is more effective than other methods such as choral responding (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch,

Myers & Sugai , 2008). Other incentives within the active classroom which promote student

participation and responsibility of their learning and behaviour include computer assisted

instruction, group reinforcement plans, behaviour contracts and token economies. The point raised

by Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) in regards to the association of feedback and reinforcement

of the rules is further strengthened when the children feel responsible for their rules and is believed

to reduce the incidence of off-task behaviour within the classroom (De Pry & Sugai, 2002 as cited in

Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). While the active classroom approach influences

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the behaviour of the children, it is ultimately the teachers interaction with the approach which

determines whether the children remain on or off-task.

Narrowing the focus of the learning environment further, Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley (2002) argue the

importance of the teacher on setting learning goals for the students and the effect that this has on

classroom behaviour. Mastery goals are said to be goals which are learning focused and aim on

mastering the skills and knowledge involved (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Students who are

mastery goal focused have been associated with decreased levels of inappropriate behaviour and an

increased level of on-task behaviour due to their genuine interest and enjoyment of the activity

(Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Performance based goals focus on being able to demonstrate the

skill (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002) but do not focus on acquiring a deep level of understanding

and can therefore be described as shallow learning. There are two types of performance focused

goals: performance-approach and performance-avoidance. Students who have lower skill levels are

more likely to inhibit an avoidance approach to performance whereby they demonstrate off-task,

disruptive behaviour which provides an excuse for underachieving (Elliott, 1997 as cited in Kaplan,

Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Children who are driven by a performance-approach goal generally

demonstrate a high level of skill and on-task behaviour, however it can negatively impact on the

student due to the pressure they put upon themselves to perform and it is often a shallow form of

learning (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002).It is therefore argued by Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley (2002)

that teachers should encourage and promote learning environments where the children are driven

by mastery goals. This allows the children to focus on meaningful learning and encourages children

to build upon the skills that they have without competing with their peers. It also encourages the

children who have lower skill levels to have a go, to value their mistakes and thus hinder the

incidence of off-task behaviour related to performance-avoidance.

Emmer & Stough (2001) explore the influence that the behaviour of the teacher has on the

behaviour of the students in the classroom. The behaviour and attitude of the teacher is believed to

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be more positive in the classroom when the teacher has a good professional rapport with other staff

members, when the teacher is organised and on top of the work load and when the teacher engages

in reflective practice (Emmer & Stough, 2001).Getting to know the students is also crucial for

positive learning. Thus when the teacher has a positive attitude in the learning environment, the

children are also more likely to be positive and react to towards their learning in an enthusiastic

manner (Emmer & Stough, 2001). Furthermore positive teachers are more resilient when off-task

behaviour does occur and are less likely to let it manifest into stress or burning out (Emmer &

Stough, 2001). Stressed teachers have been associated with presenting negative attitudes in the

classroom and this in turn has a correlation with an increase in off-task behaviour (Emmer & Stough,

2001). Thus it is important for teachers to remain positive so that they can manage inappropriate

behaviour in a constructive way. The positive attitude of the teacher links to the proactive approach

to learning as it focuses on a positive learning experience rather than focusing on the negative

aspects of the classroom. It also focuses on the aim of preventing inappropriate behaviour from

occurring. Thus Emmer & Stough (2001) argue that the attitude of the teacher is very influential on

the nature of classroom behaviour.

The previous arguments in this paper have explored the importance of the teacher in prevention

strategies for off-task behaviour, acting before the behaviour has happened and therefore

encouraging on-task behaviour. Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) and Woolfolk and Margetts

(2013) also explored the importance of the teacher in regards to reactive strategies which are a

response to the behaviour after it has occurred and how this can negatively impact on the behaviour

of the class. Reactive strategies are argued by many to be less effective than proactive strategies

because they are most commonly a negative response to a negative behaviour (Clunies-Ross, Little &

Kienhuis, 2008). Sometimes the behaviour continues to persist because the children like being

acknowledged for misbehaving in front of their friends during a reprimand (Woolfolk & Margetts,

2013). Furthermore, when children receive social isolation as a punishment for disruptive behaviour

(Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013), they may become behind in their work and give up trying which only

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encourages the off-task behaviour to persist. Thus it can be argued that the teacher can impact on

student behaviour in a negative way. Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) explored the importance

of maintaining a balance between reacting to good behaviour and bad behaviour as their studies

found that bad behaviour has a higher incidence of being responded to than good behaviour. It is

argued that reactive strategies can result in positive on-task behaviour, however it is ultimately the

importance of the teacher and how they balance the use of reactive strategies with proactive

strategies which determines which way the behaviour will trend (Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis,

2008).

The writer has argued the significance of the teachers influence on various factors within the

classroom including proactive and preventative approaches to behaviour, the learning goals of the

children and active learning environments including increased opportunities to respond and

ownership of learning. All of these factors influence the behaviour of the children alone. It is

however the influence of the teacher on these factors which is of optimal importance as this

distinguishes whether the behaviour of the children will be directed towards on-task behaviour or

off task behaviour. The writer explored the notion of the teacher promoting a negative impact on

behaviour with reference to the reactive approach to behaviour. While Clunies-Ross, Little &

Kienhuis (2008) and Woolfolk & Margetts (2013) raise valid arguments to suggest that reactive

stances can lead to continued off-task behaviour, it has been proven that reactive approaches can be

advantageous when used in conjunction with proactive and preventative strategies. Finally, the

writer has also explored the influence of the teachers personal attitude in the classroom and how

this impacts on childrens behaviour. It was found that teachers who have a positive attitude in the

classroom have a positive correlation with on-task behaviour and vice versa. Thus it can be

concluded that the impact of the teacher is of paramount importance in regards to influencing the

behaviour of the children in the classroom.

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References:

Beaman, R., & Wheldall, K. (2000). Teachers use of approval and disapproval in the classroom.

Educational Psychology, 20(4), 431-446.

Clunies-Ross, P., Little, E., & Kienhuis, M. (2008). Self-reported and actual use of protective and

reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and

student behaviour. Educational Psychology, 28(6), 693-710.

Emmer, E. T., & Stough, L. M. (2001). Classroom management: A critical part of educational

psychology, with implications for teacher education. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 103-112.

Kaplan, A., Gheen, M., & Midgley, C. (2002). Classroom goal structure and student disruptive

behaviour. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(2), 191-211.

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in

classroom management: Considerations for research to practice. Education and Treatment of

Children, 31(3), 351-380.

Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2013). Educational psychology (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.:

Pearson Australia.