Classroom Discipline in ELT Curriculum

Year 2007, Volume: 49 Issue: 49, 93 - 127, 01.10.2007

Nehir Sert

Abstract

This qualitative study, which was conducted in a private elementary school in Ankara, aims to determine perceptions of the school director, the English teachers, and the students on the effectiveness of class discipline. It further aims to investigate the students and the teachers' classroom behaviors regarding class discipline. The population of interest consisted of the school director, 11 mentor/English teachers, 36 student/English teachers, and 57 students from 6th through 8th grades. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, class observations, and document analysis. Descriptive analytical framework was employed for analysis of the interviews and content analysis method was used for the analysis of the observations. The findings lead us towards two important conclusions. Firstly, discipline problems are experienced, in that the participants with different expectations do not understand one another and then, in turn, the teachers are unable to implement appropriate coping strategies with discipline problems. Secondly, some personal traits of teachers can be source of some discipline problems. The researcher argues the possibilities for using the autonomous learning methods to provide class discipline hoping that the participants would have the opportunity for better understanding of each other, and the discipline problems stem from the teachers' characteristics would be minimized. Summary Since the main focus of this research is on classroom discipline, the researcher, first of all, attempts to define the term so as to be able to argue about the problems which are of interest. The goal of discipline in education is to reduce the need for teacher intervention by aiding students learn to control their own behaviors. The teachers who apply various discipline techniques hope not only that misbehavior will cease but that students will internalize self-discipline and display it both within and beyond the class (Charles, 1986). In this sense, the researcher considers classroom discipline as the state of behaving appropriately to classroom norms and rules, which may require development of life skills. Although there is no certain definition of life skills, they can include harmonious relationships with self, others and the environment; the ability to act responsibly and safely; and the ability to solve problems (http://www.tasmaniatogether. tas.gov.au/ tastog_original/tt_glossary.html). In the scope of life skill based education, Unicef aims to develop the skills which encompass, for example, expressing feelings; giving feedback (without blaming) and receiving feedback; ability to listen and understand another`s needs and express that understanding; and skills for increasing internal locus of control (http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index.html). In the light of the definitions above, One would say that individuals need to develop those interrelated life skills so as to be able to learn to behave appropriately to written or unwritten norms and rules, and accordingly, to be accepted by the society. Several models emerged to deal with discipline problems in 1970s, and later, they were classified in three approaches to classroom interaction as non-interventionists, interventionists, and interactionalists (Wolfgang and Glickman, 1980). While non-interventionists assume the child has an inner capacity that needs to find its way in the real world, interventionists presuppose that outer environment cause the human organism to develop in its particular way. Midway between these two, interactionalists claim that the individual modify the external environment as well as the environment shape him or her. A non-interventionist teacher is likely to utilize minimal power while the child has most of the control on his or her behaviors. On the other hand, an interventionist teacher assumes control of the child. An interactionalist teacher, maintaining balance between these two extremes, shares the responsibility with the student in behavior control. Studies which explore learner autonomy and brain research support the main assumption behind the interactionalist approach (Brindley, 1990; Coleman 1988; Council of Europe 2001; Hutchinson and Waters 1988; Kotulak, 1996; Munby, 1991; Nunan, 1990). There is evidence that students who are supposed to share responsibility with the teacher hold clear conceptions of good teachers and what specific behaviors they should have. More notably, teachers and students perceive disciplinary events differently (Lewis ve Lovegrove 1987; Cohen ve Monion 1993). Freeman (1992), for example, points out that discipline problems can be a consequence of perceptual differences between teachers and students when either thinks that their needs are threatened. The interactionalist approach may also minimize discipline problems which show possible associations with various teacher characteristics such as their nature, professional and communication skills and teaching experience (Kagan, 1992; Swanson, O'Conor, ve Cooney 1990; Easterly 1985). However, it is still too early to come to a point since research results are not conclusive. In this manner, it seems worthwhile to examine perspectives and behaviors of both parties including other related variables in different contexts via various research methods. Thus; this qualitative case study aims to explore perceptions of the school director, the 6/7/8th graders, and their (student/mentor) English teachers on the effectiveness of classroom discipline. It further aims to investigate the students and the teachers' classroom behaviors regarding classroom discipline. The following questions are addressed in order to achieve aforementioned aims: 1. What are the perceptions of the school director, (student/mentor) English teachers and the students in grades 6th through 8th about classroom discipline? 2. What are the classroom behaviors of both the teachers and the students regarding discipline? 3. Have any specific discipline objectives been set in the annual/daily plans? This qualitative research was conducted in a private elementary school in Ankara. The population of interest consisted of 284 students from 6th through 8th grades, 11 female mentor/English teachers, 7 male and 29 female student/English teachers, and the school director. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, systematic classroom observations, and document analysis. 40 male 20 female students were selected as study sample by means of stratified random sampling in order to provide more in-depth interviews to increase the precision of the findings. 57 of the selected students and all of the other participants took part in the study voluntarily. Descriptive analytical framework was employed for analysis of the interviews and content analysis method was used for the analysis of the observations. The generalizability of the study was limited due to this institutional focus. Two important conclusions can be extracted from this study: 1) Discipline problems are experienced, in that the participants with different expectations do not understand one another and then, in turn, the teachers are unable to implement appropriate coping strategies with discipline problems. 2) Personal traits of some teachers can be source of some discipline problems. For example, while the students can easily exploit mild mannered teachers, they can behave well in the lessons of forceful teachers. This is a quite thought-provoking situation, for one thing, that it is unlikely for them to find people of particular type in real life all the time, and for another, that it is only when they have the skills to govern and assess their behaviors that discipline will be meaningful. The researcher, assuming that the skills of responding appropriately to social norms and rules are among life skills, argues that tools and methods of autonomous learning which share the main assumption behind the interactionalist approach can be applied to provide class discipline as well. It is hoped that the participants would have the opportunity for better understanding of each other, and perhaps more significantly, the discipline problems stem from the teachers' personal characteristics would be minimized in such an interactive process. Most of all, in the long-term, the students can contribute to an orderly and harmonious society by governing and assessing their socially appropriate behaviors.

Keywords

Class discipline , integrated curriculum , alternative assessment , autonomous learning methods

İngilizce Eğitim Programında Sınıf Disiplini

Abstract

Ankara'da bir özel ilköğretim okulunda gerçekleştirilen bu araştırmada; okul yöneticisinin, aday/rehber İngilizce öğretmenlerinin ve öğrencilerin sınıf disiplinine ilişkin algılarının ve davranışlarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada, nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın katılımcıları, 1 okul yöneticisi, 11 rehber İngilizce öğretmeni, 36 aday İngilizce öğretmeni ve 57 ilköğretim ikinci kademe öğrencisidir. Araştırmada ihtiyaç duyulan veriler, görüşme, sınıf içi gözlem ve belge analizi yoluyla toplanmıştır. Görüşme ile toplanan veriler için betimsel analiz, gözlem ile toplanan veriler için içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda iki önemli sonuca varılmıştır. Birincisi, katılımcıların beklentilerinin farklı olmasına bağlı olarak birbirlerini anlayamamalarından kaynaklanan disiplin sorunlarının yaşanması ve yine aynı nedenden dolayı yaşanan sorunlarla baş etmeye çalışılırken doğru stratejilerin belirlenememesidir. İkincisi ise öğretmenlerin kişisel özelliklerinden kaynaklanan disiplin sorunları yaşanmasıdır. Bu sorunların çözümlenmesinde, yaşam becerilerinin geliştirilmesinde kullanılan özerk öğrenmeyi teşvik eden yöntem ve araçların, bu araştırmanın gerçekleştirildiği sınıflarda disiplini sağlamak amacıyla kullanılabileceği tartışılmaktadır. Böyle bir etkileşimsel süreçte, katılımcıların birbirlerini daha iyi anlama fırsatı bulabileceği ve öğretmenin kişisel özelliklerine bağlı olarak ortaya çıkan disiplin sorunlarının azalabileceği düşünülmektedir. Ayrıca bu öğrencilerin, toplumsal norm ve kurallara uyma davranışlarını yönlendirip değerlendirme becerilerini geliştirmek suretiyle, bu davranışları tüm yaşama yayarak daha uyumlu ve düzenli bir toplumsal yaşama hizmet edebilecekleri umulmaktadır.

Keywords

Sınıf disiplini , bütüncül ders programı , alternatif değerlendirme , özerk öğrenme yöntemleri

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