A comprehensive work on the topic of classroom disruption, specifically the preventive and reactive strategies discussed in the current literature, presented in the theoretical section and examined in the practical section of the work for their effectiveness and use in the classroom. Classroom management is given significant attention.
Objective of the work: The situation described above raises the question of how theory and practice currently compare with regard to dealing with classroom disruptions. What is the distribution of preventive and reactive measures in practice? Which strategies do teachers actually resort to, and how do they evaluate their effectiveness? This theoretical and empirical study aims to answer these and other related questions and to create a comparison between theory and practice.
Research questions:
I. How many of the strategies discussed in the current literature are teachers aware of?
II. Do teachers increase or decrease their repertoire of measures as they gain professional experience?
III. Which of the strategies known to teachers from the current literature are actually used?
a. What is the distribution of preventive and reactive measures in practice?
b. What are the most common strategies?
IV. How do teachers rate the effectiveness of the strategies used?
a. What do teachers think of preventive measures?
b. What are the reasons for possibly low use of preventive measures in school?
V. How did they come up with these strategies?
VI. What is the proportion of unconsciously used versus consciously used strategies?
Objectives:
- To elaborate on the preventive and reactive measures discussed in the literature.
- Highlight the importance of preventive measures versus reactive ones
- To determine whether the measures brought forth in the more current literature have been adopted in practice
- Identify which strategies are known and which are being used.
- Identify which strategies are most commonly used in the school setting.
- Determine the extent to which classroom disruptions are managed unconsciously.
- To determine the teachers' points of view regarding the different measures, especially the preventive ones.
- Comparison of theory and practice
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Objective of this paper
1.2 Structure of the paper
2 Definitions and disambiguations
2.1 Disturbances in Class
2.1.1 Definition according to Karlheinz Biller (1979)
2.1.2 Definition according to Rainer Winkel
2.1.3 Definition according to Gert Lohmann
2.2 Classroom Management
3 State of research
3.1 Prevention and intervention of disturbances in class
3.1.1 First studies on classroom management
3.1.2 Jacob Kounin's findings
3.1.3 Evertson et. al’s findings
3.1.4 Management style (exchange/ exchange)
3.1.5 Haertel, Wang and Walberg
3.1.6 Helmke (scholastic study)
3.2 Comparison between theory and practice
3.2.1 Successful strategies and types - Mayr et al.
3.2.2 LCH survey on discipline difficulties in Schools in German-speaking Switzerland
3.2.3 Nolting's survey
3.3 Critical reflection on the state of research
3.4 Current literature on the subject
4 Strategies in dealing with disturbances in class
4.1 Preventive strategies
4.1.1 Discipline management level and organization obtaining information about the class and students in advance
4.1.2 Prevention at teaching level
4.1.3 Prevention at the relationship level
4.2 Reactive strategies
4.2.1 Intervention strategies at the relationship level
4.2.2 Intervention at the discipline management level Early intervention
4.2.3 Intervention strategy at teaching level
4.2.4 Importance of preventive strategies
5 Summary of the theoretical part
6 The study – questions and hypotheses
7 Methodology
7.1 Research design
7.2 Preparation of the questionnaire
7.3 Structure of the questionnaire
7.4 Presentation of the school (sample)
7.5 Implementation
7.6 Data analysis
8 Evaluation and results
8.1 Sample
8.2 Knowledge of strategies
8.2.1 Knowledge of strategies
8.3 Use of strategies
8.3.1 Use of the presented strategies
8.3.3 Strategies indicated by teachers
8.3.4 Estimated use at the school
8.4 Effectiveness of strategies
8.4.1 Effectiveness of the strategies presented
8.5 Reasons for the rare use of preventive strategies
8.6 Appropriation of strategies
8.7 Conscious or unconscious use
9 Discussion
9.1 Summary and discussion of the findings
9.2 Criticism of methods
9.3 Outlook
10 Summary
11 Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This study investigates the discrepancy between theoretical recommendations for classroom management and the practical application of these strategies by teachers. It focuses on the usage, knowledge, and perceived effectiveness of preventive versus reactive measures in handling classroom disturbances, aiming to bridge the gap between educational research and school practice.
- The differentiation between preventive and reactive classroom management strategies.
- Analysis of teacher knowledge and application of pedagogical strategies.
- Evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of various intervention methods.
- Examination of how teachers acquire their professional coping strategies (intuition vs. formal education).
- Assessment of the extent to which strategies are applied consciously versus unconsciously.
Excerpt from the book
1 Introduction
Disturbances in class form an integral part of the everyday life of every teacher. The causes of such disturbances are very different, they manifest themselves in extremely different ways and teaching without them is simply not realistic. The strategies and procedures of teachers in dealing with teaching disorders are equally diverse. In the specialist literature, a lot has happened in this field in recent years, which has aroused my interest.
Through my work as a substitute teacher in a grammar school, I was personally confronted with the problem of disturbances in class. At the same time, I had to realize that my university education had hardly been able to give me any assistance for dealing with this topic. Although this problem has been criticized since the beginning of school history (cf. Keller 2005, p. 27), in this case, too, the infamous reality shock followed. As a result, I set out to find ways and strategies to deal with this problem. In the educational literature, I have been surprised by the number of phenomena, especially from recent times. An increasing predominance of prevention over traditional measures such as admonition and punishment, could be observed.
In view of the notoriously psychologically stressful teaching profession with the tendency to the so-called burn-out syndrome, the analogy to medicine and to Antonovsky's concept of salutogenesis does not seem far-fetched in this context. He asked the almost revolutionary question of what keeps people healthy, instead of focusing, as usual, only on the development of illness and the associated healing. The use of preventive measures in the classroom to prevent disturbances therefore seems equally plausible. But can these theoretical findings found in practice, specifically in the classrooms? HansPeter Nolting stated in 2003:
"Das Ausmaß von Unterrichtsstörungen hängt entscheidend vom Lehrerverhalten ab. Nicht so wichtig ist dabei die Art des Umgangs mit eingetretenen Störungen, sondern eine Klassenführung, die Störungen präventiv entgegenwirkt. Wie diese aussieht, ist zwar in der Forschung seit langem bekannt, kaum hingegen, so zeigt eine Umfrage, in der Lehrerschaft." (Nolting 2003, p. 53).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Discusses the prevalence of classroom disturbances, the author's motivation to research the topic, and the identified research gap between pedagogical theory and actual teaching practice.
2 Definitions and disambiguations: Clarifies essential terminology such as "disturbances in class" and "classroom management" by presenting various academic definitions.
3 State of research: Outlines existing research on prevention and intervention, including key findings from Kounin, Evertson, and others, while critically reflecting on empirical limitations.
4 Strategies in dealing with disturbances in class: Detailed examination of preventive and reactive strategies subdivided into discipline management, teaching, and relationship levels.
5 Summary of the theoretical part: Synthesizes the theoretical findings as a foundation for the subsequent empirical study.
6 The study – questions and hypotheses: Formulates the specific research questions and hypotheses regarding teacher knowledge, usage, and consciousness of strategies.
7 Methodology: Describes the quantitative cross-sectional study design, the questionnaire development, and the surveyed sample.
8 Evaluation and results: Presents the findings from the survey data concerning strategy knowledge, usage frequency, and perceived effectiveness.
9 Discussion: Interprets the study results in the context of the theoretical background and critically evaluates the chosen methods.
10 Summary: Provides a comprehensive overview of the study's aim, methodology, and core conclusions, reiterating the necessity for better alignment between theory and practice.
Keywords
Classroom Management, Teaching Disorders, Preventive Strategies, Reactive Strategies, Classroom Climate, Teacher-Student Relationship, Pedagogical Effectiveness, Empirical Education Research, Educational Practice, Classroom Discipline, School Psychology, Teacher Training, Educational Theory, Instruction Quality, Intervention Strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this publication?
The work focuses on the management of classroom disturbances, specifically examining the balance and effectiveness of preventive versus reactive strategies used by teachers in their daily practice.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The core themes include definitions of teaching disorders, various classroom management models, the role of teacher-student relationships, and the distinction between preventive (proactive) and reactive (interventionist) measures.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The goal is to bridge the gap between academic pedagogical recommendations and the actual methods applied by teachers in the classroom to mitigate teaching disorders.
Which scientific methods are applied in the study?
The research employs a quantitative cross-sectional study design using a standardized questionnaire distributed to teachers to gather empirical data on their strategy knowledge, application, and evaluations.
What content is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section analyzes the state of research, details specific preventive and reactive strategies (e.g., non-verbal communication, rule-setting, method change), and evaluates empirical results from a teacher survey.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Classroom Management, Teaching Disorders, Preventive Strategies, Reactive Strategies, Teacher-Student Relationship, and Pedagogical Effectiveness.
Why is the "Kounin study" considered significant for this work?
Jacob Kounin's research in the 1970s is fundamental because it pioneered the shift in focus from merely reacting to student misbehavior to analyzing teacher behaviors before and during lessons that influence classroom order.
What did the survey reveal about the appropriation of strategies?
The study found that teachers primarily acquire their coping strategies through intuition and independent trial-and-error, rather than through formal academic studies or structured teacher training.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding "unconscious use"?
The author concludes that a significant portion of strategies is applied unconsciously, suggesting a need for "reflexive distance" and greater self-critical analysis in professional teaching behavior.
What are the primary reasons given by teachers for the rare use of preventive strategies?
Teachers frequently cite a perceived excessive time expenditure as the main barrier to implementing preventive measures in their classrooms.
- Quote paper
- Matthias Gonszcz (Author), 2012, Classroom disruptions. Preventive and reactive measures compared between theory and practice, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1168132
