The Management Strategies in The Educational Setting: Behavioral Psychology Theory of Rudolf Dreikurs and Charles’ Synergetic. Dreikurs‘ educational philosophy is based on the philosophy of democracy, with its implied principle of human equality, and on the socio-teleological approach.
Behavioral Psychology Theory of Rudolf Dreikurs and Charles’ Synergetic for Management Strategies in The Educational Setting
Behavioral Psychology Theory of Rudolf Dreikurs
Behavioral psychologists emphasize the role of reward and reinforcement of inappropriate behaviors or the role of modeled behavior. One of the earliest theorists to conclude that students choose their own behavior was Rudolf Dreikurs (Driekurs & Cassell, 1972; Dreikurs, Grunwald, & Pepper, 1982).
Driekurs emphasizes that students choose their own behaviors. If this is the case, the goal of the instructor is to develop the attitude that every student can change their behavior and that with help from the instructor every student can learn responsible behavior.
One of the most important roles of the instructor is to help the student to develop social interest and social competence so that they are motivated to choose socially useful behaviors. Students must receive a great deal of encouragement.
Teachers should use a democratic or collaborative discipline style to allow the student to flourish. Effective classroom management and responsible student behaviors will not flourish in an autocratic or permissive classroom. Dreikurs has identified four “mistaken goals” that he believes are behind most misbehavior:
1.Attention
If students are not getting the attention they need for good behavior, they will seek attention through inappropriate behavior. These students would benefit from more attention paid to their responsible behavior choices.
Students who seek attention will talk out, show off, interrupt others, and demand teacher attention. The instructor may choose to acknowledge only appropriate behaviors and to ignore inappropriate behaviors.
2.Power and control
The student repeatedly misbehaves to become the center of attention. These students would benefit from some legitimate avenues for control in the classroom. When seeking power, students may drag their heels, make comments under their breath, or tell the instructor that they are unwilling to perform a task.
Students who delay or refuse to complete a task may be given a choice to do it now or later or be shown the consequences for their choices in a logical manner.
3.Revenge
The student feels the only way to get attention is to retaliate against adults. The student feels he has been treated unfairly. These students would benefit from learning to deal with hurt feelings in more socially constructive ways.
When seeking revenge, students may try to get back at the instructor and other students by lying, subverting class activities, or maliciously disrupting the class. Again, giving students a choice or pointing out the inadequacies of their passive aggressive behaviors may be of help to the instructor and the class.
4.Helplessness and inadequacy
Students who feel they are not a member and do not have a sense of belonging would benefit from a great deal of encouragement and positive reinforcement. When displaying inadequacy, students withdraw from class activities and make no effort to learn. Instructors who use positive reinforcement, shaping and gradual reinforcement of appropriate skills, and mentoring can help these students.
The instructor should attempt to discern the reasons behind student misbehavior. What needs of the student are not met? Meeting student needs both in the proactive classroom management plan and in the corrective plan will prevent much misbehavior and enable the instructor to deal with misbehavior quickly.
For some strategies to handle misbehavior in the classroom. A similar perspective on meeting the needs of students within your classroom management strategy is seen in the work of CM Charles (2002).
He sees students as having seven basic needs that must be met in the classroom in order to create a classroom learning community. These needs are dignity, enjoyment, power, security, hope, competence, and acceptance.
The main points of Charles’ Synergetic approach are Given Below
- Teaching that actively involves students in the learning process results in little misbehavior. Invite your students to work with you in creating and maintaining an interesting, inviting program for learning, one that is free from fear and based on personal dignity and consideration for others.
- Methods for helping students to behave responsibly can be implemented in a gentle, but still very effective manner. Cooperatively establish a set of agreements about how the class is to function and class members are to conduct themselves.
- Classroom conditions need to be established that increase motivation and energy. Discuss and demonstrate conditions that elevate class spirit and energy. Ask the class to identify topics in which they have great interest and would like to study in more detail.
- Teaching and discipline need to be approached from a unified perspective to be effective. Discuss the factors that are known to lead to misbehavior in the classroom. Ask the students to work with you to eliminate or reduce these factors.
- Preventing and redirecting misbehavior is essential. An instructor who knows and understands the causes of misbehavior and who recognizes that these causes begin with unmet needs is practicing “preventive” classroom management.
- Looking at the cause of misbehavior is important. Teachers need to prevent misbehavior by limiting its causes and correct misbehavior by attending to its causes.
- The usual causes of misbehavior are probing boundaries, mimicking others, boredom or frustration, strong distraction, desire for attention, desire for power, no sense of belonging, residual emotion from an outside event, threats to personal dignity, disagreements that escalate and/or egocentric personality.
- The main purpose of discipline is to help students. In Charles’ Synergistic Discipline, student responsibility is increased. Students and teachers are on the same side working to prevent misbehavior and addressing misbehavior when it does occur.
His system does this without offending the student and producing the negative feelings often felt by students in systems of discipline based on punishment.
Keeping students’ seven needs in mind, the teacher needs to entice cooperation, rather than force it. Students do cooperate for teachers they trust. The teacher needs to create a classroom with intense enthusiasm and a sense of purpose.
The tools to accomplish this include: teacher ethics, trust, charisma, communication and interest; class agreements; and procedures for problem resolution. When problems occur, the teacher should say something, such as, “Is there a problem I can help you with?” or “Can you help me to understand why this is happening?” The focus is on helping the student to choose responsible behavior rather than punishing. Keeping reactions under control when conflicts arise is an integral part of Charles’ Synergetic approach.
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