Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Peter K. Mills
Committee Member
Steve Siplet
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
applied dissertation, beginning teachers, classroom discipline, classroom management, classroom management practices, classroom management skills, classroom management strategies, classroom teachers, communication barriers, communicating with students, development research methodology, district, instructional techniques, leaders, management strategies, middle school, middle schools, misbehavior, proactive teaching strategies, researcher-designed survey, staff development training, student disruptions, teacher-student relationships, teachers, training program, veteran teachers
Abstract
The problem to be addressed by this applied dissertation is a district middle school where classroom management techniques are not sufficiently decreasing student disruptions. The purpose of this study is to develop a training program to improve classroom management practices. The intent is to enhance the methods currently used by classroom teachers by analyzing and creating a set of standards for developing improved management strategies with emphasis on decreasing student misbehavior.
This study applied a model of development research methodology to create a training program that enhances classroom management practices. A researcher-designed survey was administered to examine and to evaluate classroom management strategies and their effect on the elements of classroom discipline. Additionally, a committee of leaders was created to examine data from the survey and to develop a training program to improve classroom management skills for teachers in the district at the middle school level.
The program was developed to address the following areas of classroom management: Communicating with students, instructional techniques for managing misbehavior, increasing proactive teaching strategies, and the enhancement of teacher-student relationships.
Analyzing retrieved data revealed a need for staff development training in classroom management for veteran teachers as well as beginning teachers. Both middle schools reflected the same pattern of communication barriers that enhanced obstacles presented by the lack of classroom management skills.