Review of Classroom

Management Theories

Dr Roberto H. Parada PhD

Senior Lecturer Adolescent Development, Behaviour and Wellbeing
Western Sydney University
Objectives
By the end of the lecture, you should be able to:

• Recognise the importance of classroom management theory to the

development of classroom management plan/s

• Understand the purpose of classroom management

• Understand options for choosing and developing your own

theoretical approach to classroom management

• In Depth Skill: Choice Theory

 Knowing classroom management
theories
• Teacher’s ability to ‘make sense’ of student behaviour is a critical aspect
of successful learning and teaching

• Cogent understanding of relevant theory facilitates effective teaching,

and provides a foundation for formulation of classroom management
plans

• Theory provides both praxis (theory into practice) and nexus

(relationship between theory and practice)

• A theoretical approach to classroom management brings a strong

coherence to your professional philosophy and your classroom
management practices
 The Three Disciplines
(Gerber & Solari, 2009)

• First – Classroom orderliness: Most commonly thought of as

classroom discipline is the required orderliness & civility needed to
instruct in a classroom.

• Second - Self-regulated learning: Self-management by students, it’s

implicit. Implied by the fact that we refer to some students as “well
behaved”; thought of as ‘internal’ or related to curriculum content.

• Third – Teacher self-management: Least discussed, ongoing self-

management of emotion and behaviour whilst achieving the previous
2 disciplines. Does not develop without effort.

GERBER, M. M., & SOLARI, E. (2009). Future Challenges to Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Practice and Policy. In Mayer, M. J., Van Acker, R., Lochman, J.
E., & Gresham, F. M. (Eds.). (2009). Cognitive-behavioral interventions for emotional and behavioral disorders: School-based practice. NY:Guilford Press. p385-
409.
 Key Classroom Management
Theories
There are five main theories of classroom management that have
influenced Australian schools and that will assist your understanding of
the Lyford model:

• Goal Centered Theory (Rudolf Dreikurs)

• Choice Theory (William Glasser)
• Cognitive behavioural theory (e.g. Jane Kaplan & Jane Carter)
• Assertive Discipline (Lee & Marlene Carter)
• Applied Behaviour Analysis (e.g. Paul Alberto & Anne Troutman)
 Classroom Management
Theories (Cont.)

These theories of classroom management can be classified into

three overlapping groups:

Psychoeducational/Needs Based
Emphasises human needs, and details how (mis)behaviours are
attempts to meet these needs

Cognitive and behavioural

Focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and
encourages student involvement in negotiating behavioural change

Behavioural
Concerned predominantly with the use of classical learning theory
and behaviourism to achieve behaviour modification
 Focus: Choice Theory
William Glasser’s Choice Theory is the theory that we all choose how to
behave at any time, and that we cannot control anyone’s behaviour but
our own. CT states there are 5 basic needs which we are compelled to
satisfy.
• Survival – physical needs, food, water, security
• Love and belonging – connecting with other people that are
important to you
• Power – success, acknowledgement from others, achievement
• Freedom – to have choices and control in your life…freedom
from…. And freedom to…
• Fun – laughter, the genetic reward for learning. To do things
• because they are interesting, absorbing and stimulating.

Britzman, M.J., Nagelhout, S.E., & Cameron, A.J. (2011). Pursuing a quality life by clarifying our quality worlds and making
need-fulfilling choices. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy Vol. XXXI, number 1
 CT Cont’d
• All day long we are constantly comparing what we have (our
perceived world) with what we want (our quality world). If there is a
close match we feel happier and in effective control of our life. If there
is a mismatch we feel unhappy and losing effective control.

• With each choice, we interact with the environment and receive

feedback regarding the fulfilment of survival or self-preservation,
belonging, power (i.e., achievement, competence, &
accomplishment), and freedom or independence.

• Throughout life, we learn from the consequences of our decisions and

develop a growing list of wants that include, but it not limited to,
images of desired people, satisfying activities, treasured possessions,
enjoyable events, optimal beliefs, and preferred situations.

Britzman, M.J., Nagelhout, S.E., & Cameron, A.J. (2011). Pursuing a quality life by clarifying our quality worlds and making
need-fulfilling choices. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy Vol. XXXI, number 1
CT: Total Behaviour
CT states that behaviour has 4 dimensions
• Acting – talking, doing
• Thinking – self talk, ideas,
• Feeling – emotions
• Physiology – ‘body talk’, headaching, sweating,
 CT: Classroom Application

• Choice Theory believes in having lead teachers. Lead teachers base

their instruction on the basic needs of the students: be loving and
connected to others; achieving a sense of competence and personal
power; acting with a degree of freedom and autonomy; experiencing
joy and fun; and surviving.

• Students should have an active role into how and what they are
taught. The teacher should structure the lesson around what internally
drives the students to learn. Class meetings should be held and within
these meetings, discussions should be carried on in order for the
students to speak, thus allowing the teacher to understand in depth
what satisfies the students’ learning. When a new topic is introduced,
the teacher should ask students what they would like to explore.

From: http://williamglasser2.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Application+Choice+Theory
 CT: Classroom Application

• In regards to classroom management, Glasser’s Choice Theory

suggests that teachers can assist their students and help them
identify the circumstances that drive their behaviour.
• Guided questions should be used to manage individual student’s
behaviour:
• First ask the student what he is doing.
• Second, after the student replies the teacher should ask him how
the behaviour is helping the class (him/herself).
• Lastly, the teacher asks the student how he can change his
behaviour to help the class.
• However, if the student reacts to the questions negatively, the student
has broken a rule and should receive consequences.

From: http://williamglasser2.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Application+Choice+Theory
 Asking CT Questions
WDEP (Wubbolding, 2010)

There are 4 main questions in CT

• Wants – What do you want? Who do you want to be like? What would
that give you? What will this get you?
• Doing – What are you doing? What are you thinking? How are you
feeling when you …? What’s going on in your body when …?
• Evaluation – how is this working for you? How do you feel about this
now that …? Is this how you want to be known? Did you get what you
wanted?
• Plan – what can we come up with together for you to do to make
things work better for you? Can you think of anything else that you
could have done? What else could you say to yourself when you feel
like that? Would you like some help with coming up with different
ways to do that?

Wubbolding, R.E. (2010). Reality therapy: Theories of psychotherapy series. Washington,

DC: American Psychological Association.
A “multimodal media” example
 CT: Application “Marky”
• In collaboration, we evaluated Marky‘s current behaviour (his acting, thinking,
feeling, and physiology) to determine whether this was working for him. This
process allowed Marky a safe space to reflect on his destructive and self-
defeating behaviours. He realized that his behaviours were harmful to himself
and others around him.

• He shared that he felt out-of-control. At this time, I used the WDEP

(Wubbolding, 2010) process with Marky. Through this process we were able
to identify what was important to Marky. Marky‘s quality world included
popularity, acceptance, positive behaviour, and financial independence. More
specifically, Marky was seeking acceptance from his mother, father, teacher,
and friends. It became clear, however, that when Marky perceived that he did
not get the acceptance that he wanted, he responded by choosing his
organized behaviour of yelling, walking out, breaking things, skipping school,
and running away. I continued to ask him to evaluate his behaviour until he
finally admitted that his current behaviours were not working.

From: Robey, P.A., Beebe, J.E., Mercherson, A.D., & Grant, G. (2011). Applications of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy with
Challenging Youth. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy 31(1) p84-89.
 CT: Application “Marky”

• Collaboratively, Marky and I developed a plan that would help him achieve his
goals in getting the acceptance that he sought. In subsequent sessions we
worked on specific goals, personal expectations, and how he could make
positive changes. Each week, Marky would check-in and share his thoughts,
feelings, and behaviours. He kept track of this through a journal. Marky
learned to self evaluate and develop a plan to be successful and create
change in his life. Marky demonstrated enthusiasm about his plan and began
to show improvements in his thinking, acting, and feeling.

From: Robey, P.A., Beebe, J.E., Mercherson, A.D., & Grant, G. (2011). Applications of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy with
Challenging Youth. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy Vol. XXXI, number 1 p84-89.
CT: Critique
• All of the postulates of Glasser are contained within well
established, researched theories such as Cognitive Behaviour
and Developmental and Neurocognitive Theories (Nothing
New)

• There are NO RCTs demonstrating the efficacy of CT in

schools or with people when counselling them with CT. (CT is
50 years old.)

• There are NO published studies demonstrating efficacy as a

whole school approach to behaviour management. The few
studies that advocate for CT are poorly executed and
exclusively published in a Journal started by Glasser’s
followers. Other studies seem to suggest that it has little to no
efficacy (see Welch & Dolly, 1980 & Shearn & Randolph, 1978)
CT: Critique Cont’d
• Culturally (individualistic) loaded: Why are those needs important? Hint
see USA constitution.

• What about context and how it shapes behaviour? Biology, Cognitive

ability are ignored, as is what we know about individual differences

• (Contradictory) The teacher or school is responsible for creating an

environment that meets the needs of the students; however, a student
chooses his behaviour based on his own needs. A teacher may go to
great lengths to promote a positive environment, but the student may not
choose appropriate behaviour. In Glasser’s theory, when a student
misbehaves, the teacher is responsible for failing to meet the needs of
the student, contradicting Choice Theory which posits that a student
chooses his own "total behaviour." (Bourbon 1994)*

* From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasser%27s_choice_theory
CT: Critique Cont’d
• (Contradictory) Imagine a room with an air conditioner and thermostat. A student
can walk in and change the setting if too hot or too cold, until the room feels just
right. But what happens when 29 other students have different perceptions of
what is "just right" in the room? It is impossible, to create a classroom that meets
the needs of every individual student simultaneously, because students have
different perceptions of the same physical conditions. (Bourbon 1994)*

• (Contradictory) People need choice (it’s their right) when they make wrong
choices there are consequences (environment) which then affects their choices,
(it teaches them not to do that to meet their need) but I thought people made
choices based on their needs? How do you explain people changing and their
needs staying constant? How do you explain people needing multiple ways to
satisfy the same need? What happens to a need once it’s satisfied? Is there a
need satisfaction monitoring mechanism in the brain? How do you explain people
who put needs on hold but are still happy? Finally, what is a need? How is it
differentiated from a want?

* From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasser%27s_choice_theory
Take home message about
Choice Theory
• Saying to a student “You have a choice put your phone away or go to the
principal” is NEVER Choice Theory.

• Student’s needs are important, just don’t assume you know what they
are!

• Glasser was a pioneer in highlighting that positive learning environments

which are conducive to students being more autonomous, who felt they
belonged to a place and had good relationships with their teachers
produced ‘happier’ people over all. We owe him this.

• Asking people to clarify their behaviour, thoughts, emotions is always

good. Eg. Wants, Doing, Evaluate, & Plan (WDEP). It allows reflection
and growth. Consistent with developmental theory. It is likely to teach
self-regulation, problem solving skills and interpersonal skills

• But remember, just because everyone goes around saying this is a good
theory for behaviour management it doesn’t mean that it’s great. What’s
the evidence? You need a variety of methods.
Additional References
Bourbon, W. Thomas and Ford, Ed. (1994) Discipline at Home and at School. Brandt: New York.
Shearn, D.F. & Randolph, D.L. (1978). Effects of reality therapy methods applied in the classroom.
Psychology in the Schools. 15(1). P79-83.
Welch, F.C. & Dolly, J. (1980). A systematic evaluation of Glasser’s techniques. Psychology in the
Schools. 17(3). P385-389.