ABSTRACT
Effective teaching and well-managed classroom behaviour are two mutually supportive influences on students’ learning. Teachers in primary and secondary schools place great importance on managing students’ behaviour and helping students gain control over their own conduct. Many teachers report that one of their main concerns in the classroom is the child who disrupts lessons, cannot work cooperatively with others, seeks too much attention from teacher or peers (Landers et al., 2013). Teachers feel that although they know what the child needs in terms of basic instruction and support, it proves impossible to deliver appropriate teaching because the child is unreceptive. Turnbull et al. (2012) suggest that some 9 per cent of school-age students present with intense behaviour problems, while another 15 per cent are at risk for developing such problems unless taught effective ways of self-control. Poduska and Kurki (2014, p. 83) have remarked: ‘Moving evidence-based practices for classroom behavior management into real-world settings is a high priority for education and public health.’ This chapter presents an overview of some of the approaches for preventing or reducing behaviour problems in school through effective use of proactive strategies.
