Improving Classroom Management and Discipline through Action Research: A Professional Development in Banjo Laurel Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

This research paper examines the strategies used by the researcher to maintain discipline in the classroom through action research. The paper determines whether punishment and de-motivation are a better reinforcing tool to maintain discipline and whether there is a relation between punishment and de-motivation with learners' behavior. The teacher identified the areas of improvement in maintaining classroom discipline.

METHODS

The researcher used the techniques of in-depth personal observations to find the issues associated with classroom discipline practices. For this particular research, the Individual Action Research type is adopted. The Skinnerian model of discipline was to maintain discipline in the classroom through positive reinforcement instead of punishment. This model emphasizes reinforcement immediately following a given behavior, and if this reinforcement is not provided behavior will weaken. Positive reinforcement is the process of supplying a stimulus that reinforces behavior and negative enforcement is the process of removing something following misbehavior. Reinforcement includes verbal approval, high grades, prizes, and rewards.

RESULTS

Based on the investigation, students were expected to comment on a variety of topics related to their experience with teachers, friends, etc. Four types of demotivation factors were revealed: the teacher's relationship with the students; the teacher's attitude towards the course or the material; style conflicts between teachers and students and the nature of the classroom activities. Many negative gestures were found such as the teacher's lack of caring or patronage/favoritism; the teacher's lack of enthusiasm and sloppy management towards the course or the material; their conflicts about the degree of closure or seriousness of the class and the amount of irrelevance and repetitiveness. The research revealed that most teachers easily attribute student's de-motivation to various reasons including psychological, attitudinal, social, historical and even geographical reasons without realizing the potential de-motivating roles of them.

DISCUSSIONS

The students were more relaxed when the positive reinforcement was adopted and when the routine plan was made keeping in mind the interest of the students. They were more engaged in class when the punishment and de-motivation were reduced, and when their opinions were valued. I noticed that positive reinforcement, substituting punishment and accepting students' opinions helped a lot in maintaining discipline.