Kevin Wheldall

How Do Teachers Learn to Manage Classroom Behaviour? A study of teachers’ opinions about their initial training with special reference to classroom behaviour management

Summary Structured interviews were carried out with 176 secondary school teachers to elicit their views/opinions about their initial professional training and their later practical experience, with particular reference to classroom behaviour management. The results showed that the vast majority of teachers believe classroom management skills to be of major importance to them professionally. Nearly three‐quarters of them were dissatisfied with the preparation in this area of professional skills provided by their initial training courses. Many thought that their colleagues spent too much time on matters of order and control and 38% thought that they, themselves, did also. Generally, they showed an interest in attending training courses in classroom behaviour management. Many felt that such training could reduce stress among teachers and might help to reduce troublesome behaviour among their pupils. Nearly all of them thought that it would be of benefit to their younger colleagues who were just beginning the...

Which Classroom Behaviours do Primary School Teachers say they find most Troublesome

A questionnaire enquiring into classroom behaviour problems was distributed to a 25% random sample of all infant, junior and junior infant schools in a West Midlands LEA. Replies were received from all 32 schools, resulting in a very high return of 93%. Of the 198 teachers who responded 51% believed that they were spending more time than they ought on problems of order and control. On average 4‐3 children per class were identified as troublesome, of whom 3 were boys. Boys were identified as the most troublesome and as the next most troublesome child in the class by three quarters of the teachers. Asked to identify the most troublesome classroom behaviours 47% selected ‘talking out of turn’ followed by ‘hindering other children’ (25%). Very similar findings were obtained for the most frequent troublesome behaviour and for the most troublesome behaviours of the particularly troublesome individual children.

Classroom Behaviour Problems which Secondary School Teachers say they find most Troublesome

A questionnaire survey of 251 British secondary school teachers was carried out based on a stratified random sample of secondary schools in a West Midlands education authority. The questionnaire aimed to determine the types and frequency of troublesome classroom behaviours. The results showed that 55% of teachers responding claimed that they spent too much time on problems of order and control. Two behaviours, ‘talking out of turn’ and ‘hindering other children’, were clearly identified by teachers as being the most problematic. The variables of sex of teacher, age group taught and subject area taught are also examined.

Behavioural Peer Tutoring: training 16‐year‐old tutors to employ the ‘pause, prompt and praise’ method with 12‐year‐old remedial readers

Abstract Eight 16‐year‐old, low achieving pupils were trained to tutor reading using the ‘Pause, Prompt and Praise’ method. The effectiveness of training such tutors was investigated through a tutorial programme in which these eight older pupils tutored eight 12‐year‐old remedial children who were retarded in reading. The programme consisted of 24 tutorial sessions conducted over eight weeks. Two matched control groups of remedial readers were also included in the experiment. One consisted of eight pupils tutored by a group of eight untrained tutors who tutored during the same sessions using the same materials. The second control group consisted of a third group of remedial readers who read silently, without a tutor. The experimental group of tutees, who had a mean pre‐test reading age of 8 years 4 months, made a mean gain of 6 months in reading accuracy by the end of the programme. The tutees of control group I who had received tutoring from untrained tutors made a mean gain of 2.4 months. The pupils of ...

Observing Pupils and Teachers In Classrooms (OPTIC): a behavioural observation schedule for use in schools

Abstract A new behavioural observation schedule for use in classrooms (OPTIC) is described. Its development and its purpose are detailed and its psychometric credentials are examined in terms of its reliability, validity and sensitivity. Suggestions are made as to its possible uses.

Pitch alterations in British motherese: some preliminary acoustic data

Speech samples from eight British female adults addressing young children and another adult were analysed in terms of vocal pitch. Increases in vocal pitch when addressing young children were observed but were smaller than the increases noted by North American researchers, and variability across speakers was marked. Some adults only slightly raised their vocal pitch to young children. Pitch increases were generally more marked for mean as against modal pitch measures, and for free speech as against reading aloud conditions.

Rows Versus Tables: an example of the use of behavioural ecology in two classes of eleven‐year‐old children

ABSTRACT The effect of different classroom seating arrangements on childrens on‐task behaviour was examined by observations of two top junior classes of ten‐ to eleven‐year‐old children. In both classes mean on‐task behaviour was lower for the first two weeks in which children sat around tables compared with the second two‐week period spent in rows, and declined again when the children returned to tables for the final two weeks. An analysis of the data broken down into groups of children with low, average and high initial on‐task behaviour showed that the rows condition had its most powerful effect on children with low initial on‐task behaviour. There was little difference between conditions for the children with high initial on‐task behaviour. The results for the average groups of children were similar to those for the classes as a whole. Rising baselines during the first tables condition confused the effect but there was clear evidence for declines in on‐task behaviour in the final tables condition.

Teachers’ Use of Praise and Reprimands to Boys and Girls

Abstract Samples of 32 primary and 38 secondary teachers were each observed on three occasions interacting with mixed classes. The observation schedule employed differentiated teacher responses to male and female pupils. The findings were analysed in terms of teacher positive and negative responses (praise and reprimand) per child per hour. Analyses of data from the primary sample revealed no significant differences between responses to boys and girls nor were any significant differences apparent when the data for male and female teachers were analysed separately. For the sample of secondary teachers, however, there was evidence for major significant differences in rates of responding to boys and girls, boys receiving more responses overall (both positive and negative) from teachers. When these data were analysed separately for male and female teachers it was found that female teachers used significantly more negative responses to boys’ social behaviour whereas male teachers used significantly more positi...

Rows versus Tables. II. The Effects of Two Classroom Seating Arrangements on Classroom Disruption Rate, On‐task Behaviour and Teacher Behaviour in Three Special School Classes

Summary Seating arrangements in which children sat in rows and around tables were compared experimentally in three classes in a special school for behaviourally troublesome children with moderate learning difficulties. Children were observed daily in four two week phases: seated around tables, then in rows, again around tables, and finally again in rows. Percentage on‐task behaviour was recorded along with rate of pupil disruption and rates of teacher approval and disapproval. In all three classes on‐task behaviour doubled from around 35% to 70% as the conditions changed from tables to rows. Moreover, rate of disruption was three times higher in tables conditions. Teacher behaviour was also affected; positive comments increasing during rows whilst negative comments decreased. It is argued that these studies support the results of previous studies regarding the importance of ecological variables, such as seating, on classroom behaviour.

Back in the USSR: The effect of teacher modelling of silent reading on pupils' reading behaviour in the primary school classroom.

Abstract A series of studies was carried out in four upper primary classes to determine the effect on pupil reading behaviour of the class‐teacher modelling silent reading during class reading periods. In every primary class studied pupil attention to text increased substantially when teacher modelling was practised and declined when this was discontinued. A further study showed that this effect was only partly accounted for by the reduction in teacher distractions (moving around the room, listening to pupils read) concomitant with teacher modelling of silent reading.