Behaviour Management Essay

In response to ongoing concern regarding behaviour management a wealth of research being carried out and official documentation has been published, such as the Elton Report (DES, 1989) and the Steer Report (DfES, 2005), on ‘what works well’ in schools. Both reports hightlight that teachers were most affected by the impact of relatively minor, but persistent, low-level

“… behaviour management difficulties have a way of sneaking up on teachers, leaving them without the necessary tools to deal with the difficulties, never mind the notion of prevention”

This essay will cover a wide range of material to identify, compare and contrast the work of Harry Harlow and Burrhus Frederick Skinner. Harlow and Skinner did research and investigated the influences on behaviour; this essay will draw upon both investigations. Further into the essay it will identify some similarities and differences into both researches with a supported argument about the importance and implications of both studies. The essay will then conclude with a conclusion on the findings.

The behavioural theory seeks to understand the behaviour children display as a direct stimulus – response relationship and posits that ongoing feedback both positive and negative is what yields great learning outcomes (McLeod, 2007a). Educators will be required to understand the definition of behaviour as an observable response to stimulus received externally from the environment or more broadly as any action

Classroom behavior management is considered to be one of the most important factors to determine student’s behaviors. With that being said, the study evaluated classroom behavior strategies that are aligned with Positive Behavioral Interventions Supports (Reinke, Herman &Stormont, 2013). According to research, the impact of SW-PBIS has reduced problem behaviors and increased academic performance. However, despite the increase of PBIS many teachers continue to struggle with managing student behavior in the classroom (Reinke, Herman &Stormont, 2013). Often times ineffective classroom management negatively impacts students behaviors in where they are given less academic instruction. This is important because teacher’s implementation of effective practices becomes affected by their job demands. Teachers are therefore less likely to have effective implementations if they are emotionally exhausted or lack self-efficacy (Reinke, Herman &Stormont, 2013). More importantly, if teachers implement PBIS in their classrooms with positive stated rules and expectations they are more likely to praise their students and reduce behavioral problems. Whereas, teachers with higher rates of student disruptive behavior are more likely to have lower self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion (Reinke, Herman &Stormont, 2013).

Many children display challenging behaviours in a variety of ways such as defiance, over-competitiveness, lack of ability to relate to others or other inappropriate behaviours such as violence toward others. "Tricky Kids” (Fuller, 2013) is a book that attempts to normalise some of the behaviours seen as inappropriate characteristics that can be positively maximised rather than pathologizing the behaviour. Models to help in maintaining appropriate behaviour for students in classrooms mainly involve evaluation of antecedents and consequences to problem behaviours and then making interventions based on these behaviours (Conroy, Asmus, Boyd, Ladwig, & Sellers, 2007). This is based in behavioural psychology with reinforcement of desired behaviour and consequences for maladaption to expected standards (Miltenberger, 2015).

“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” ― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday. I recently found this quote online and thought it was a fitting example of my addictive behavior modification experience in CSL 466. Initially, I thought addiction is that can be changed over time with willpower, determination and help from others. However, what I’ve learned through my experience in CSL 466, is that you can try as hard as you want but some addictions never quite go away.

The subject of this discipline plan is a 7 year old, first grade girl who attends Riverhall Elementary. Over the course of this teacher candidate’s observation the student displayed many disruptive behaviors and at times became defiant when the behaviors were addressed. It is not this teacher candidate’s opinion that the student has a specific disorder such as ADD or ADHD that contribute to her behavior. When she wants to be the student is very bright and capable of doing her work well. This teacher candidate feels that it is the student’s home life that contributes to the undesirable behavior. The student lives with and is being raised by her grandmother, from this teacher candidates understanding the student’s father is not in the

In contrast to Maturation theory, a Behaviourists’ approach views the child’s environment as imperative and directly related to their development – which also occurs in stages. Behaviourists believe that children are born as a blank slate, meaning their mind has no inherent structure and can be filled by their society (or environment). Learning commences from birth onwards, for example from your parents, television, friends and many other direct environmental influences. All behaviour is observable and measurable and is universal. In stark contrast to a Psychodynamic view, Behaviourist believes the mind is not the key to acquiring knowledge; their external environment in which they live is (Faryadi, 2007). With this understanding it becomes clear why curriculum goal setting under a Behaviourist conforming profile is recommended to occur at the commencement of planning, prior to the educator even meeting the children (MacNaughton, 2003). There is no need for individualised

Neo-behaviourists ‘provided a more human perspective in that they considered the human mind to be selective in its actions and not simply responsive to stimuli’ (Reece and Walker 2000 pg 107). Tolman (1886-1959) believed that organisms were purposeful and selective in their responses to their environment. He felt that in order to study behaviour he had to look at behaviours as a whole sequence. This would allow him to understand how they related and worked together to reach the end goal. Tolman’s work recognises the importance of a curriculum and lesson plan built around the needs of the learner. ‘Students,’ says Tolman, ‘must be granted a variety of opportunities in which to test

The behaviourist approach to social psychology focuses primarily on how the behaviours of an individual have been learned. Skinner (1938) carried out research into operant conditioning. This research aimed to find out the effects of both positive and negative reinforcement on behaviour.

Behaviour is believed to be the way a student may act or behave, not only in our classrooms but also the environment that surrounds them. Such as at home or with peers(Zimmerman,1994) States that behaviour is learned. Therefore, it can be unlearned with other behaviours in its place. Many influences may play a factor in behaviours that may be challenging to deal with for the teacher or parent. They may include biophysical factors such as a medical condition or disability. Behavioural and social factors such as a problem behaviour that have been taught through reinforcement. Psychological factors such as trauma or a lack of those essential social skills. As well as environmental factors such as class noise or seating. This will later be related to the humanistic learning theory of knowledge. (Zimmerman,1994)

Contrasting skinners behaviour theory to Baumrind’s styles of parenting, Baumrind states “Parents who combine warmth and rational and reasonable control are likely to be more effective reinforcing agents. They praise children for striving to meet their expectations and making good use of disapproval, which works best when applied by an adult who has been warm and caring.” (Baumrind, 1967). Mia will learn from positive reinforcement her whole life, this will make an impact on her adulthood as she may use positive reinforcement

Over the past two years of teaching, I have integrated the classroom behavioral management approaches of humanist tradition, applied behavior analysis, and classroom management tradition in my classroom. Each approach provided a unique benefit and definitely aided in the success of my classroom instruction. Even though I did not realize at that time the “terms” of these varying approaches, I inadvertently was implementing them. I realize now how they assisted in my effective classroom management plan.

Skinner’s seminal book, Science and Human Behavior, published in 1953, outlined his behavioral interpretation of human nature. Because a main facet of behaviorism is that environmental events control our behavior, it can sometimes lend itself towards a life view in which the individual has no control over his own behavior. However, Skinner provides an analysis of self-control, wherein he posits that behavioral contingencies can be arranged to benefit the individual and make changes in one’s own behavior. Epstein (1997) provides a succinct summary of Skinner’s views on self-control in the following statement: “we manage our own behavior when we deliberately alter the variables of which that behavior is a function; that is, when we act in some way in order to change our subsequent behavior.” (Epstein, 1997, p. 545).