Teachers play various roles in a classroom, but surely one of the most important is that of classroom manager. Effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom. If students are disorderly and disrespectful chaos becomes the norm. In these situations, both teachers and students suffer. Teachers struggle to teach, and…

A number of studies indicate that student teachers can change their behavior quickly, sometimes dramatically, when under a supervisory program which focuses upon behavioral change during the experience. Such change is contingent upon the extent to which student teachers have specific objectives to achieve and regular, precise feedback about their…

This paper reviews the research carried out in New Zealand classrooms since 1967, including conference papers, theses and dissertations, published articles, and unpublished reports. Classroom research is defined as any work, irrespective of disciplinary affiliation, which is concerned with the actual day to day operation of classroom life. Review…

One hundred sixty-three experienced, knowledgeable, elementary and secondary teachers were asked to identify classroom management strategies they believed to be most crucial to their teaching effectiveness. In rank order, the eight most frequently selected managerial strategies were: (1) using positive reinforcement; (2) applying logical…

A thorough and integrated approach to classroom management can enable teachers to prevent most discipline problems and handle those that do occur. Some students, however, may have intensive personal or behavior problems requiring individualized treatment in addition to group management techniques. Many teachers may also want to pursue student…

A teacher training program located in the Department of Communication at the University of Montana systematically attempts to modify teachers' communication behavior within the classroom. In step 1, baseline behavioral data are collected from each teacher by videotaping within the classroom. Step 2 involves coding the videotapes, using a "simple"…

Eight elementary school teachers, judged outstanding in ability to deal with difficult students but differing in socialization style (behavior modification, which involves rewards, or induction approaches, which emphasize rationales for behavior change), were the subjects of a study on classroom management strategies. The teachers nominated one…

Contemporary research on test anxiety shows that there are a number of sources of such anxiety: expectations of parents or teachers; association of grades with personal worth; fear of alienating parents, family, or friends; a feeling of lack of control over one's life. This paper discusses these sources of test anxiety, reviews some of the…

A four-phase positive discipline plan, based on William Glasser's "Reality Therapy" concepts and designed for grades K-5, is described. The goal of the plan is to teach the students to assume responsibility for their own actions; discipline is instructional, as opposed to punitive. A record is kept for each child upon which all serious behavior…

A study was made to determine the effects of long-term, daily supervision which employed interaction analysis procedures on the teaching behavior and interactions of four elementary school physical education teachers. Repeated, daily, multiple observations were recorded for each subject's teaching behavior and interaction patterns in the movement…

The social science literature, particularly in psychology, that may relate to faculty satisfaction, motivation, and commitment to teaching is reviewed. The question of satisfaction from work and its relation to motivation, a topic of controversy in the field (Greene, 1972) is examined, and the concept of motivation is briefly described from four…

This paper reports the outcomes of a study that utilized descriptive, qualitative methods and a series of case studies to investigate how students are diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders, specifically Asperger syndrome under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The study focuses on students attending elementary schools in…

Assertive Discipline (AD) is a modified version of assertion training skills. It is a systematic combination of verbal assertiveness training combined with teachers using everyday rewards and punishments to positively influence relationships and students' behavior. When using the AD model, the teacher must: (1) clearly convey their rules and…

A report is given of a statistical analysis of the summary findings of 14 empirical studies on the effectiveness of human relations training programs for teachers. The study sought to determine the direction and size of the effect produced by training, and determine which programs were most effective. Program approaches included: (1) Social…

The paper considers improved instructional design for learning handicapped students including the development of a cooperative and supportive school organization, the creation of appropriate classroom management systems, and the employment of active teaching strategies. A supportive school organization requires a positive interpersonal climate,…