Behavior Management Within Mainstream Local Authority Run Primary Schools

This review outlines the wide context of behaviour management within mainstream Local Authority run Primary Schools.

Behaviour management is a contested and enduring issue in British schools that is framed by a shift in professional and theoretical discourse (MacLure et al. , 2012). Vygotsky (1987) theory proposed that teachers and pupils need to develop affective, social and cognitive behaviour in order to create an effective learning environment. Likewise, Bronfenbrenner `s theory of ecological systems supports the view that school context as a microsystem consisting of a pattern of activities, collective roles and social relations (Bronfenbrenner and Morris,1998). Furthermore, the social factors of Piaget (1926) and Vygotsky (1962) provide

An effective behaviour management is an important part of effective inclusion practices and higher attainments and participation in schools (Powell and Tod, 2004). There are many complex variables linked to learning behaviour including the learning environment, family, community life and cultural influences (Powell and Tod, 2004). Psychologists’ work focusses on building positive relationships with pupils in order to improve their behaviour and to protect vulnerable and challenging pupils (Roffey, 2004). However, the curriculum’s demands and target pressures on teachers make it difficult for them to find time to establish positive relationships with challenging pupils (Roffey, 2016). While teachers are increasingly becoming humanistic and child-centred many schools are however adopting behaviourist systems of rewards and sanctions to drive rather than promoting pupils’ positive behaviour (Grigg, 2015). Headteachers and governing bodies of maintained schools must ensure that their schools have a strong behaviour management to support their staff manage pupils’ behaviour (DfE, 2011a). The policy should include the school’s rewards and sanctions (DfE, 2014). However, managing behaviour in schools is more than just rewards and sanctions. In mainstream schools, headteachers and the governing bodies have the duty to set out a behaviour management policy which promotes good behaviour, respect, self-discipline and how to prevent bullying (DfE, 2011a). There are many ways of managing behaviour in schools that are not included in schools ‘behaviour policies (Ellis and Tod, 2015). These ways include teachers’ routine, and their consistency in their relationship with their pupils (Cornwall and Tod, 1998). School behaviour policy should be teachers’ skeleton of their techniques however their professionalism