ABSTRACT
A behavioral view of the management of behavior in classrooms has been and continues to be a dominant and influential paradigm in both educational research and the preparation of teachers. To say that the behavioral view dominates current classroompractice, however, would be inaccurate. As we discuss later in this chapter, despite a rich history and extensive empirical underpinnings, the behavioral perspective on teaching and management is not highly regarded in the education community (see Axelrod, 1996). Moreover, behavioral strategies seem to be implemented haphazardly, inconsistently, or incorrectly as often as they are implemented as theywere designed (Kauffman, 1996; Kauffman,Mostert, Trent, & Pullen, 2006; Pullen, 2004; Walker, 1995;Walker, Ramsey,&Gresham, 2004). Despite this failure to translate into practice what has become a considerable body of behavioral research, the behavioral view remains a frequent theme in the literature on classroommanagement, presented by proponents as a set of foundational principles to guide appropriate and nurturing classroom practice, and by critics as a set of unfeeling clinical procedures more suited to animals rather than humans, and thus to be avoided at all costs when teaching children. University students in teacher preparation course work are likely to hear something about a behavioral approach to classroom management. What is unclear, and probably variable from one university, program, or professor to the next, is whether they will hear a positive or negative portrayal of this approach to management.
