Supported by research

The Positive Teaching approach is based on the extensive research of Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall AM and Dr Robyn Wheldall (Beaman) of Macquarie University and on the earlier research of Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall and Dr Frank Merrett at the Centre for Child Study, University of Birmingham.

Research areas included:

  • Identifying the most troublesome disruptive classroom behaviour in Australian primary school classrooms.
  • Observing primary teachers’ use of approval and disapproval for academic and social behaviour in the classroom.
  • Examining the effects of classroom seating on student behaviour.
  • Measuring the effect of implementing the strategies of Positive Teaching classroom behaviour management.

This research forms the basis of the classroom behaviour management system presented in our first PD Workshop, Positive Teaching for Effective Classroom Behaviour Management.

Tackling troublesome behaviour

In a survey of NSW primary school teachers, we found that:

  • 49% felt they spent more time on problems of order and control than they ought.
  • 92% of teachers chose a boy as the most troublesome student in their class.
  • When asked to choose the most troublesome behaviour for the class as a whole, nearly half of the surveyed teachers cited ‘talking out of turn’ (TOOT) followed by ‘hindering other children’ (HOC).
  • TOOT and HOC were also cited as the key behaviours of their most troublesome student.

This research showed that although the most troublesome behaviours are not particularly serious, they are timewasting, irritating, stressful and ultimately exhausting for teachers.

By using the techniques to shape behaviour outlined in the Positive Teaching approach, teachers will spend less time dealing with these distractions, and instead create a calm and positive environment more conducive to effective instruction.

Using praise most effectively

Most teachers are well aware of the importance of using praise and positive reinforcement strategies in their classrooms to manage classroom behaviour. But our research found that most teacher praise is largely focused on academic performance, with very little praise for desirable classroom behaviour. Moreover, teachers used over three times as much disapproval as approval when commenting on students’ classroom behaviour.

The Positive Teaching approach shows how teachers can use contingent praise related to classroom social behaviour to increase the time students spend on-task, leading to improved academic performance. With teachers expected to deliver an ever-expanding curriculum, more time spent on-task means more opportunity to fast-track through the required material.