The Expression of Positive Discipline in the Primary Classroom: A Case Study of One School

Abstract

Student misbehaviour in the classroom is a challenge for many teachers. The aim of this study is to identify the main behavioural problems and highlight the Positive Discipline techniques used by teachers in primary classrooms. The study was carried out by a teacher-practitioner in one school using the Positive Discipline approach. Twenty lessons across different subjects were observed and a qualitative content analysis of the data was obtained. The results revealed that the most common reasons for pupils’ misbehaviour are attention-seeking, power-seeking and inadequate behaviour, to which teachers respond with Positive Discipline techniques (encouragement, behavioural redirection and logical consequences). We believe that the use of the Positive Discipline approach is a universal tool that can help teachers improve the learning process of their students by identifying the targets of their misbehaviour and responding appropriately to it.