ABSTRACT

The aim of this chapter is to examine, from a sociological perspective, one particular aspect of teaching and of learning which concerns beginning teachers: that is, the ways of achieving discipline and control in the classroom. It expresses that student behaviour and teacher response in the classroom is largely the result of the social situation in which people find themselves and not the result of the individual personalities of the student and the teacher. The chapter also examines the roles of the student and of the teacher in the classroom, and, drawing upon the analogy of an actor's role. It outlines the various factors that influence behaviour in the classroom. The chapter also expresses that the best way to learn about classroom control is to put children into classroom situations where they can implement the suggestions made.