Modification of deviant classroom behaviour.

Abstract

Summary. With a view to suggesting appropriate control techniques the classroom behaviour of three children considered by their teachers to be deviant, was observed by simple time sampling methods. In addition to establishing adequate baselines for the frequencies of the reported behaviour, estimates of the teachers' use of positive and negative reinforcement were obtained. Informal advice was then given upon means of reducing the amount of deviant behaviour by means of reinforcement based upon operant conditioning theory and involving praising the desired behaviours whilst ignoring the deviant ones. The children were subsequently observed at weekly intervals. It was found that in one case the teacher was unable to follow this advice consistently and that there was no evidence of a decline in the occurrence of the deviant behaviour. In another case the observational data indicated a marked reduction, paralleled by what seems to be a general improvement in the teacher's classroom management skills. The third child's behaviour likewise exhibited an acceptable if less dramatic improvement. The practical implications of the results are discussed with particular regard to the training of teachers and educational psychologists.