Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2009. / The aim of this study was to pursue an investigation into the effect of discipline on academic achievement in secondary schools. From the literature study it became clear that classroom management is a necessary condition for effective student learning. The school climate established by the educator can have a major impact on learners’ motivation and attitude towards learning. As such, the skills involved in establishing a positive classroom climate are of immense importance. Clearly, learners need order in the classroom if the activities, which take place, are to facilitate effective learning. The most important point to bear in mind in considering discipline, is that creating the necessary order is more to do with the skills involved in effective teaching in general than it is to with how one deals with learner behaviour itself. If the learning activities are well-planned and prepared, if the presentation elicits and maintains learners’ attention, interest and involvement, and if the activities are challenging and offer realistic opportunities for success, then the necessary order will be established as part of these qualities. In essence, skilful teaching lies at the heart of establishing discipline. Most learner misbehaviour is quite trivial. The types of learner behaviour most frequently cited by educators are:  excessive talk or talking out of turn,  being noisy (both verbal, such as shouting at another learner across the room, and non-verbal, such as letting a disk lid slam shut),  not paying attention to the educator,  not getting on with the work required,  being out of their seats without good cause,  hindering other learners, and  arriving late for lessons. To a large extent, such problems can be minimized by skilful teaching in general, and by developing conventions and routines for behaviour, which are followed. The discipline which prevails in a classroom will not only be influenced by the educators’ behaviour and expectations, but also by the expectations learners bring with them, and, importantly, by the prevailing ethos in the school. Nevertheless, a well-managed lesson coupled with a relationship based on mutual respect and rapport will do much to minimize pupil misbehaviour. In schools where it is recognized that there are a number of learners with marked emotional or academic difficulties, skilful teaching can ensure that good discipline in lessons will be the norm. Learners misbehave at school for a variety of reasons, e.g. boredom, inability to do the work, low academic self-esteem, emotional difficulties, poor attitudes, etc. The key to establishing good discipline at school lies in learners accepting the educator’s authority to manage their behaviour and their progress in learning. Learning activities cannot take place effectively in a classroom of thirty learners or more, unless one is given authority to control, manage and direct what is going on as, when and how appropriate. Much of the authority as an educator derives from the status he has in that role, and the respect and esteem for educators generally held in society; this is particularly conveyed to learners by their parents and other sources of influence. Educators will have some degree of status because of this, most notably with younger learners where they may be perceived as a parent figure to some extent. In order to exercise managerial control, learners’ behaviour needs to be rule-governed. Such school rules may be explicitly stated by educators or simply inferred from the educator’s actions. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the literature and empirical study, and the following are some of the recommendations that were made:  All schools should draw up a code of conduct and implement it.  Rules related content should be incorporated in the academic curriculum.  Further research should be conducted concerning disruptive behaviour in the classroom in order to provide an overview of the problem.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty Of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Of Master Of Education (Social Science Education) in the Department Of Comparative and Science Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The study focused on classroom management challenges experienced by female educators in King Cetshwayo District secondary schools. The aim of the study was to explore classroom management challenges faced by female educators in secondary schools and find establish the behaviour of learners towards female educators. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. A structured questionnaire with close and open ended questions was used to collect data from participants. The sample consisted of 280 female educators from 20 secondary schools in King Cetshwayo District. The demographic variables of the study show that there are higher numbers of female educators than males, the age of respondents reveal a youthful population of educators, teaching experience of educators average at 51% and shows a relatively experienced population, the majority of educators prefer teaching Grade 10 and below. Educators in secondary schools are mostly female (61%). The findings of the study show that educators were of the opinion that youthful exuberance and lack of positive role models are responsible for the unruly behaviour of the learners, female educators respond well to the needs of individuals and groups, educators are overburdened with overload and limited resources, also, learners misbehave towards female educators because they know that corporal punishment is prohibited by the schools and government as well. In view of the outcome of the research, it was recommended that workshops should be organised to address and empower educators on the appropriate teaching techniques to empower them cope with contemporary teaching challenges. It is also recommended that massive employment of educators be embarked upon in order to reduce the workload of educators and reduce work related stress. Appropriate funding should be made available to encourage educators to upgrade their knowledge in a manner that will support their career progression. Personnel like Psychologists, Nurses and Social Workers should be employed to serve as Educator supporting structures to help reduce workloads in the school environment

The purpose of this study was to identify an effective strategy to increase English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency in middle schools. This study assessed the outcome of classroom looping in an urban middle school. Vygotsky's theory of social development was the theoretical framework of this study. Two research questions explored statistical differences between scale and number correct scores on the standardized ELA Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Classroom settings (looping and traditional) served as independent variables, and ELA TCAP assessments were used as the dependent variable. This study included a random sample of 188 students (94 looping and 94 traditional) in a West Tennessee middle school. Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to obtain mean scale and number correct scores on 2011-2013 ELA TCAP assessments. Findings indicated no statistically significant differences in performance between groups, with small effect sizes. Mean scale and number correct scores also indicated below proficient levels for all years tested in both groups. Findings suggested a need for the middle school studied to analyze current practices possibly attributing to current ELA TCAP proficiency as a solution. Continuous school improvement was presented as a strategy of utilizing multiple data sources to monitor and adjust school practices to improve student proficiency. A white paper was chosen as a project due to its intent to provide a short, concise explanation of an unfamiliar concept to administrators. The presented project has the potential of leading to positive social change by providing administrators with an ongoing system of monitoring and adjusting school wide instructional practices to meet the needs of all students being served.

While researchers have explored various aspects of the family volunteer presence in the classroom, little is known pertaining to the perceptions of teachers regarding this phenomenon, specifically as it relates to fifth grade student reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of family volunteers' presence and its influence on fifth grade student reading comprehension. The works of Patton and of Epstein informed this study. The research questions explored teachers' perception of benefits and challenges of the family volunteers' presence. Data were collected via interviews with 8 experienced fifth grade teachers who have worked with a family volunteers in the classroom for at least 1 school year. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of these data revealed that despite some challenges teachers perceived the family volunteer presence positively. Teachers indicated they wanted additional professional development regarding family volunteers and how to enhance relationships with them. Teachers expressed interest in orientations with family volunteers and suggested targeting older members of the families, perhaps grandparents, because these members were more available to be in the classrooms. They recommended more preparation for new teachers about working with classroom volunteers. These findings are relevant to positive social change as they can inform better practices and decisions regarding the use of family volunteers in the classroom to support student reading comprehension goals.

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of the learners in a fifth-grade coteaching classroom. Because the practice of coteaching is gaining popularity in schools, there is increasing use of this teaching method in general education classrooms. If learning in a coteaching classroom is to be meaningful for students, it is important to have their perspective of this instructional delivery option. Through careful listening, observation, and interpretation of the students’ lived experience, a better understanding of the students’ perspective in a coteaching classroom was gained. Data for this qualitative study were triangulated using classroom observations, student drawn images, and interviews with selected students and the coteachers. Findings indicate that (1) students can give voice to their lived experience when given the opportunity to use images to do so; (2) the ability of coteachers to get along with each other is an important aspect of students lived experience in the coteaching classroom; (3) another aspect of the lived experience of students in the coteaching classroom is learning the ethics of the caring classroom from their coteachers. The findings support the literature, which suggests coteaching can be an effective teaching delivery option and that the voices of the learners in the classroom are an important source of information about what works in schools. These results are significant because they help to inform future decisions about the practice of coteaching. The results of this study also clarify ways the coteaching model can be strengthened or improved for greater success and benefit for both the teachers and the students.

This project emerged from previous research on beliefs, influences on behaviors, and beliefs interaction with reform. Previous research stated connections existed between teacher beliefs and teacher behaviors but criticized the use of broad, general constructs and traditional methodologies. This study challenged the portrayal of beliefs as isolated and static and attempted to understand connections between beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing qualitative methodologies, this study investigated the following research questions. 1. What insight can be gained on the nature of beliefs through analysis of consistent and inconsistent behaviors? 2. How do teacher’s beliefs interact with behaviors? This research adopted a methodology that connected interviews and instructional episodes as the informative data. The power of the examination of beliefs focused on (a) the teacher’s beliefs, (b) actual practices, and (c) the connections between beliefs and observed behaviors. A more accurate collection of beliefs provided an understanding on how these beliefs actualized in practice. This allowed for an in-depth analysis of the interaction of beliefs and behaviors that provided more explanatory power of the relationship, often lacking in other studies. Specifically, findings demonstrated that the beliefs emerge from previous experience, interact with each other, and influence the behaviors of the teacher

Technology is now the norm in our educational setting. The literature shows a vast increase in technology implementation and use both inside and outside the classroom over the past few decades. Overall, the studies show a balanced mix of positive and negative perspectives of using technology for educational purposes from students, teachers, administrators, as well as from outsiders. The literature also shows a mix of academic and social effects. Unfortunately, there is little known about how adolescents perceive their use of technology for enhancing their personal academic and social performance, two areas of developmental importance. Using mixed methods design, set in an urban junior high school in Northeast Texas,research questions addressed how much and how often technology is being used in the classroom, as well as specific ways it is being used, through educator surveys. This study also explored adolescent learners’ attitudes toward and opinions about using technology in the classroom, specific ways adolescent learners use technology for academic purposes both inside and outside the classroom, as well as how adolescent learners are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, through independent interviews. Findings indicated that overall, the teacher reports align with the literature: technology is used in the classroom at a high frequency and duration, and there is a wide range of specific ways it is being used. Additionally, the majority of adolescent learners reported perceived benefits when using technology as an aid to one’s academic development. Adolescent learners expounded on the specific ways technology is being used both inside and outside the classroom. Adolescent learners also expounded on how they are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, with the majority of adolescent learners claiming technology is not a perceived aid to one's social development nor is it commonly present when engaging with peers face-to-face. It is recommended that future studies look at any relevant differences between both males’ and females' specific technology use for both academic and social purposes. It is also recommended that future research be conducted on adolescents possibly multi-tasking with both academic and social technology use and any perceived effects of such behavior

The present experiment was designed to determine if the implementation of a token economy program to decrease disruptive behavior in a classroom would result in improved academic performance in children. The hypothesis proposed was that there is a relationship between quiet classroom behavior and academic performance. Both the children who were disruptive and those who attended to the disruptions had lost time during which they should have been attending to appropriate subject matter. If this Inappropriate attending time were reduced, the children should have more time to attend to class work resulting in improved academic performance.

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This study attempts to provide an effective administrative plan and contribute to other teachers in the field of junior high school education. In this study, the administrative plan is divided into two mail parts: first, the administrative plan and the teacher; and second, the administrative plan and pupil. All conclusions are summarised in the final chapter.