ABSTRACT
The term ‘positive correction’ relates to what Kounin (1970) referred to as ‘desists’. These are behaviour management techniques used when a pupil behaves in a manner considered by the teacher to be unacceptable in the classroom context. As readers will recall from Chapter 9, Kounin’s (1970) research found that desist techniques for dealing with misbehaviour ‘are not significant determinants of managerial success in classrooms’ (Kounin 1970: 71). The implication is that, whilst teachers need to be competent and confident in the use of a range of strategies to respond to individuals, ultimately becoming better at desist techniques alone, where better is interpreted as simply meaning knowing more strategies, is unlikely to make a significant impact on how the class behaves as a group.
