PRODUCTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOUR: IMPLICATIONS FOR

EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

by Joshua Lowe

Managing Learning Environments (EDUC 3007)

Tutor: Dr Wing Au

University of South Australia

Adelaide, South Australia

11th September 2017

Word Count: 1754

 PRODUCTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOUR: IMPLICATIONS FOR

EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Classroom management is stated to be the most common concern among pre-service,

beginning and experienced teachers alike (McCormack, cited in Cothran, Kulinna &

Garrahyn 2003, p. 435). Many educators would argue that developing a classroom

environment which successfully engages all students and promotes productive behaviour is

one of the more challenging aspects of their careers. However, the importance of effective

classroom management in ‘safe and functional’ learning environments is ‘easily understood’

(Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahyn 2003, p. 435). There is a remarkable difference in

achievement between students who have been placed in a class managed by an effective

teacher as opposed to an ineffective teacher (Korpershoek et al. 2016, p. 643). Effective

classroom management enhances student development, increases teacher job satisfaction,

promotes professional self-efficacy, and is as crucial to successful teacher pedagogies as

curriculum knowledge and methodological skills (Williams 2013, p. 2).

The first aim of this paper is to identify several aspects that define productive student

behaviour. Four distinct types of engagement will be covered as well as two distinct types of

motivation that influence children’s outcomes in educational settings. The focus will then

shift to the importance of productive student behaviour, and this will provide insight into why

engagement and motivation are crucial. The last section will present several strategies that

can aid in the establishment and maintaining of learning environments which promote

productive student behaviour. The final aim of this paper is to display an understanding of the

multifaceted nature of effective classroom management and the knowledge that underpins a

dynamic and inclusive pedagogy. There is no universal approach when it comes to managing

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learning environments and teachers must use an array of strategies when establishing a safe

and functional classroom.

Defining Productive Student Behaviour

Teachers who seek to establish and maintain a learning environment that promotes

productive student behaviour must first have a solid understanding of what productive student

behaviour is. The word ‘engagement’ is often mentioned in discussions about effective

classroom management with little regard to the term’s meaning and complex nature. Some

educators would argue that students are either engaged or not engaged, but this is a falsehood.

‘Engagement is a product of student’s attention, effort, emotions, cognitive investment and

participation, and teacher actions that encourage participation and the development of

competence (McDonald, 2013, p. 109). Van, Ritzen and Pieters (2014, p. 22) state there are

three different types of engagement and these are: behavioural engagement, emotional

engagement and cognitive engagement. Van and colleagues further elaborate that these

different aspects are not mutually exclusive nor independent of one another.

Behavioural engagement ‘relates to one’s observable actions, such as following rules

and active involvement in learning tasks’ (Hoy & Margetts 2013, p. 352). Emotional

engagement refers to students’ enthusiasm, interest in classes and display of positive learning

attitudes (Van, Ritzen & Pieters 2014, p. 22). Cognitive engagement encompasses students’

‘motivation, self-regulation and learning styles’ (Virtanen et al. 2015 p. 964). The three

aspects of engagement discussed above can be interconnected with the term flow.

Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde and Whalen (cited in Hoy & Margetts 2013, p. 352) define flow

as ‘the state in which a person is so completely engaged in what they are doing that task

performance appears effortless and time seems to stand still’. This focus on overt and

psychological engagement is more recent and differs from previous studies on disengagement

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which simply viewed engagement as an intervention for students who were not achieving

academically (Finn 1989; Marks 2000; Rumberger & Rotermund 2012; Quin 2017).

An understanding of student motivation is another crucial aspect of establishing and

maintaining learning environments that promote productive student behaviour. Jenkins and

Demaray (cited in Alkaabi & Vyver 2017, p. 193) define motivation as ‘the force which

provides the impetus for human behavior, causing individuals to initiate and sustain goal-

directed actions’. Cognitive engagement and motivation are similar constructs and thus are

often misinterpreted to be one in the same. However, Fredricks et al. (cited in Chiu et al.

2012, p. 1410), state that cognitive engagement differs from motivation because it ‘focuses

more on self-regulation and strategy use’. Some psychologists believe motivation is a

personal trait or characteristic, while others perceive it to be a state or temporary situation

(Hoy & Margetts 2013, p. 353). Motivation, like engagement, can be seen by some as a

means for overcoming student disengagement, but this would be a simple notion that

dismisses the centrality of motivation in the classroom.

It is important to acknowledge that every child is unique and that their motivation is

influenced by a wide variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic motivation ‘is the

natural tendency to seek out and conquer challenges as we pursue personal interests and

exercise capabilities’ (Hoy & Margetts 2013, p. 353). Students who are intrinsically

motivated engage in activities simply because they enjoy them or are excited by them. (Deci

& Ryan, cited in Taylor et al. 2014, p. 342). Extrinsic motivation refers to motivation that

comes from external sources. For example, students are extrinsically motivated when they are

driven to do something for rewards such as grades and teacher appraisal, or to avoid

punishment (Hoy & Margetts 2013, p. 353). Most people view intrinsic and extrinsic

motivation as two sides of the same coin. However, results from a study published by Lemos

and Veríssimo (2014, p. 936) suggested that ‘intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation

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can be viewed as mostly independent dimensions, rather than opposite ends of a single

dimension’.

The Importance of Productive Student Behaviour

Engagement was identified in the previous section as one aspect of productive student

behaviour and its importance in educational settings cannot be overstated. Skinner et al.

(cited in Virtanen et al. 2015 p. 963) believe that it is ‘the main contributor to students’

concurrent and subsequent academic success’. Engagement is a vessel for the attention,

curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that drives students to not only achieve

academically, but to develop crucial life skills that will enable them to become successful in

adulthood. Regular professional development and training is becoming an increasingly

common requirement listed by modern day employers and this is due to constant

technological advance and economic growth. Early establishment of productive behaviours

fostered through engagement will benefit and prepare students and enable them to transition

smoothly into a world which requires them to become lifelong learners.

The critical nature of intrinsic motivation and its relationship with extrinsic

motivation has been a recurring focus in literature on education. Becker, McElvany and

Kortenbruck (cited in Froiland & Oros 2014, p. 120) identified intrinsic motivation as a ‘key

factor that contributes to the development of reading achievement’. Furthermore, it is

frequently associated with conceptual understanding, giftedness, voluntary persistence in

learning tasks, lower rates of truancy, and lower dropout rates (Vallerand et al. 1997; Worrell,

Hale & Gutkin 2001; Worrell, Roth & Gabelko 2006; Vanteenkiste et al. 2008; Froiland

2015). Extrinsic motivators such as incentives also play a crucial role in the classroom as they

can enhance intrinsic motivation when used correctly. When used incorrectly however,

incentives can potentially send the message that ability is rewarded over effort (Lepper,

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Iyengar & Corpus, cited in Valerio 2012, p. 31). Therefore, it is important that educators find

a balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the classroom as both can play a

dynamic role in learning and development.

Effective Classroom Management Strategies

The 4S Framework is crucial to the establishment and maintaining of learning

environments that promote student engagement and motivation. It is represented in a diagram

as four interlocking and dynamic circles or domains (Williams 2013, p. 11). The first domain

is the ‘setting’ or physical environment in which teachers must consider elements such as

seating arrangements and location of resources. The second domain is the ‘systems’ domain

which encompasses rules, routines, transitions, accessing resources, and communication. The

‘self’ is the third domain and this is concerned with the teacher’s characteristics and attitude.

The fourth and final domain is the ‘students’ domain which considers the ways in which

students learn and interact with others. It is important to note that each of these domains ‘has

the capacity to vary in extent and to influence and/or be influenced by the other (Williams

2013, p. 11).

Effective classroom management involves a broad range of teacher behaviours, but

research tends to focus more on controlling or preventing student misbehaviour (Cothran,

Kulinna & Garrahyn 2003, p. 435). Establishing positive relationships with students as early

as possible is fundamental to successful behaviour management. Good and Brophy (2008, p.

74) suggest:

Students who like and respect their teacher will want to please them. They also will be more

likely to imitate their teachers’ behaviour, adopt their attitudes, and sympathize when they are

challenged (instead of allying with defiant students).

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Another component in building healthy teacher/student relationships is effective

communication (Lyons, Ford & Slee 2014, p. 44). Effective communication in the classroom

helps teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners and promote inclusivity. Students also

learn how to communicate respectfully when teachers model effective communication

strategies. Strategies for more effective communication include: active listening, open

questioning, asserting, I-messaging, and negotiating (Lyons, Ford & Slee 2014, pp. 52-56).

The classroom should not be seen by students as a place in which teaching and

learning is solely teacher-facilitated. Instead, teachers should aspire to build a classroom

community in which teaching and learning is a shared experience. A cohesive learning

community should acknowledge the differences and needs of individuals and students should

be encouraged to share their ideas freely (Sapon-Shevin 2010, p. 22). Successfully creating

this type of environment requires planning and practice and teachers must get to know their

students on an individual basis. Toohey (cited in Groundwater-Smith, Ewing & Le 2015, p.

84) states 'learning must be understood as a process embedded in social relationships and

cultural practices, a situated practice within a community of learners’. This viewpoint is

derived from the work of Lev Vygotsky which theorised that community played a major role

in meaning-making. ‘Community is important not just as a place where we feel connected

and supported but as a solid base from which we move out into the world’ (Sapon-Shevin

2010, p. 24).

Establishing behaviour standards is another strategy that promotes student

productivity and prevents misbehaviour. Teachers can achieve this by discussing the value of

rules and behaviour standards, developing a list of the standards, obtaining a commitment to

the standards, and monitoring and reviewing the standards (Jones 2011, p. 106). One way to

approach this is to involve students in the decision-making process. At the start of the year

the teacher may choose to hold a class meeting in which students develop their own set of

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behaviour standards in relation to classroom conduct. When this occurs, the teacher is giving

power to the students and is no longer considered the sole authoritative figure. Furthermore,

when a student chooses not to abide by the set standards the rest of the class may empathise

and align themselves with the teacher rather than the defiant student.

Conclusion

Effective classroom management encompasses a myriad of factors. So far, this paper

has attempted to define productive student behaviour by identifying several different aspects

of engagement and motivation. While the academic discourse on productive student

behaviour presented in this essay considers a more psychological perspective, it is important

to remember that teacher pedagogies are largely underpinned by educational psychology. The

centrality of engagement and motivation in well-managed learning environments cannot be

overstated and many of the behaviours fostered through these constructs are crucial to

students’ lives outside of school. This paper has also presented several strategies for

managing and maintaining classroom environments that promote productive student

behaviour by reviewing relevant literature. Condensing such a broad range of well-defined

strategies is a difficult feat. However, the review of literature attempts to display the growing

pedagogy underpinning a pre-service teacher’s knowledge and understanding. Teachers who

are passionate about what they do can change the world and today’s pre-service teachers are

no exception.

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