Brief 6 - Research Brief - Behaviour Management

Well-managed classrooms:
 • begin the year with a set of rules and routines which are understood by all children 
• have agreed rewards and positive reinforcements 
• have set sanctions for misbehaviour 
• have a selection of options for dealing with disciplinary problems 
• make use of their physical space 
• have well-planned lessons
 • encourage respect and develop positive relationships.

• A child will repeat a behaviour if it is being rewarded. 
• A child will be less likely to repeat a behaviour if sanctions are issued. 
• If there is no consistency with rewards and sanctions then it is likely the child will continue to display the unwanted behaviour. 
• The more attention the teacher gives to a child‘s behaviour the more likely it is that that behaviour will be repeated.

Rules

• When designing your classroom rules, they should be: – clear – comprehensive – enforceable. 
• Write the rules in a positive way and avoid using ‘don‘ts‘. For example, ‘I will walk sensibly around the school‘ rather than ‘Don‘t run around the school‘. 
• Children require understandable directions. Hence, the rules need to be specific and explainable, e.g. telling children to ‘Be good‘ or ‘Don‘t do that‘ is too vague. 
• Display the class rules and go over them with the children on a regular basis. 
• Check children‘s understanding of the rules.
 • Explain the rationale behind the rules. 
• Be consistent in enforcing the outcomes for breaches of the rules when an incident occurs.

Praise 

Praise is an effective way to encourage children to engage in the desired behaviour as it focuses on a child‘s effort rather than on what is actually accomplished. When educators give genuine praise that is specific, spontaneous, and well-deserved, it encourages continuous learning and decreases competition among children.

Rewards 

Rewards (or reinforcers), when they follow behaviour, make that behaviour more likely to occur again. They form the basis of human behaviour and motivation, and can be used effectively to encourage children to acquire skills and develop appropriate behaviour. To be effective rewards need to be something to which the children aspire to and want. Younger children will desire different rewards than older children. 
• Do not give praise continuously and without reason. 
• Be sincere when praising.
• Never give praise and follow it with immediate criticism. 

For rewards to be effective they should be:

 Immediate 

Immediately reward behaviour you wish to increase. 

Consistent 

Consistently reward to help maintain the desired behaviour. 

Achievable 

Ensure that the rewards are achievable to help maintain attention and motivation. 

Fair 

Make sure all children are fairly rewarded during the school day. 

Types of rewards: 

Social Praise and recognition, for example a positive phone call home. 
Tangible Material rewards, for example the use of tokens.
Activity Physical rewards, for example extra play or allowing children to choose their own reward, e.g. class soccer, painting faces, etc.