Addressing the elephant in the room – managing low-level disruption in the primary classroom

Witham, Simon Alexander

Abstract

In primary education the high numbers of pupils being permanently excluded due to low-level disruptive behaviour that is displayed in the classroom are a significant problem for educators, parents and politicians. Research has shown that teachers feel they lack the skills to address low- level disruptive classroom behaviour, including newly qualified teachers, entering the profession and those that have been teaching for longer periods of time. The research undertaken for this thesis seeks to answer the question of whether employing three specific processes of traffic lights, a token economy and scripted behaviour language could reduce low-level disruption in the primary classroom. In addition, it seeks to recognise if pupils could begin to develop self-regulatory behaviour habits within the framework of the processes, and whether Foucault’s (1980) theory of disciplinary power may be applied as a background theory to support the creation of learning behaviour discourse as pupils begin to self-regulate. In this context, low-level disruption is any behaviour that stops pupils from completing work or disrupting other pupils from their work.

Based on a review of the literature on antisocial behaviour, low-level disruption, behaviour management and theories of critical theory and disciplinary power, a study was conducted in four primary schools with teachers who were both experienced and newly qualified. The research period involved observing teachers in their classroom with subsequent interviews and interviewing two headteachers to understand if deploying the three processes could support a reduction of low-level disruptive behaviour and support pupils to self-regulate their own behaviour in the classroom. Analysis of the observations and interviews suggests that the three processes have had an impact on the reduction of low-level disruptive behaviour in primary school classrooms. Additionally, over time it was observed that pupils began to develop self-regulatory behaviour habits. On this basis, it is recommended that primary school educators and leaders might consider deploying the three processes in their classrooms to support a reduction in low-level disruptive behaviour and through developing a consistent approach could begin to promote habits that improve behaviour and potentially support pupils to learn to develop aspects of self-regulation in the classroom.

Citation

Witham, S. A. (2020). Addressing the elephant in the room – managing low-level disruption in the primary classroom. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4222869

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Feb 25, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Education
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4222869
• Additional Information: Department of Education Studies, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Apr 1, 2020