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Many factors influence on-task behaviour within the classroom however it is ultimately the
influence of the teacher and how they use these factors which is of most significance.
Discuss.
The classroom is constructed by a myriad of different influences, all of which interrelate and impact
on how students behave and learn. While some of these factors do not focus on the teacher directly,
the teacher is still of optimal importance as they manipulate these factors to facilitate the learning
within the classroom. The influence of the teacher is paramount in regards to the nature of the
behaviour which is exhibited in the classroom. On-task behaviours are those which are positively
associated with learning and include listening and participating in class discussions, asking questions,
reading and writing during set activities and demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning
(Beaman & Wheldall, 2010). Calling out in class out of turn, disrupting others, making silly noises as
well as wondering the classroom are examples of off-task behaviours as they hinder both the
student and their peers from learning and veer the focus away from the classroom task
(Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis, 2008). The teacher can promote on-task behaviour by using
preventative strategies such as the proactive approach, by creating active learning spaces which
encourage optimal participation, by setting learning goals which focus on mastery rather than
performance and by allowing children to take ownership of their learning. It is also important to
consider the teacher themselves and their attitude towards the classroom when considering the way
that students behave within the learning setting. It is argued by some that the teachers influence
can prolong and stimulate the incidence of undesirable behaviour with respect to the reactive
approach, however if utilised effectively, the reactive approach has also been correlated with a
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positive influence to learning. While there are many factors that impact on learning and behaviour in
the classroom, it is the influence of the teacher on these factors which facilitates on-task or off-task
behaviour.
Clunies-Ross, Little and Kienhuis (2008) argue the importance of the role of the teacher in promoting
on-task behaviour in relation to the proactive approach. If the teacher focuses on preventative
strategies which are proactive and therefore are positive, it is believed that the students will
continue to engage in the behaviour which is favourable as opposed to the behaviour which is off
task and inappropriate (Clunies-Ross, Little & Kleinhuis, 2008). Proactive strategies include making a
list of class rules at the beginning of the year so that the children know what is expected of them
within the classroom and what consequences will follow if these rules are not obeyed (Little et al.,
2002; Safran & Oswald, 2003 as cited in Clunies-Ross, Little & Keinhuis, 2008). Other preventative
strategies include praise and positive reinforcement of desired behaviour immediately after they
have occurred with the hope that the behaviour will continue to occur in the future (Clunies-Ross,
Little & Kienhuis, 2008). Undesirable behaviour can also be ignored and it has been found that the
children who are seeking attention soon learn that attention will only be given for desirable
behaviour thus appropriate behaviour persists and inappropriate behaviour desists (Clunies-Ross,
Little & Kienhhuis, 2008). Beaman and Wheldall (2010) have also explored the notion of praise and
positive reinforcement in their studies on the approval approach which is very similar to the
proactive approach and have concluded similar findings. Both studies have shown a positive
correlation with increased on-task behaviour and decreased disruptive behaviour. On-task behaviour
is further strengthened when the praise and positive reinforcement clearly identifies which
behaviour is being approved with reference to the rules list created at the beginning of the year
(Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis, 2008). The teachers influence on this approach is crucial in order for
it to be deemed effective and this heavily relies on the consistency in which it is delivered (Wilks,
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Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai (2008) extend the notion of the proactive approach in
their studies on the active classroom approach. The idea of the active classroom focuses on the
interaction between the teacher and the students and encourages children to take ownership of
their learning by being active participants. Similar to the proactive approach, the active classroom
relies on preventative strategies. A set of class rules is established at the beginning of the year,
however the children and the teacher work together to make these rules, giving the children
ownership of their learning space (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). In an active
classroom, the teacher roves the classroom listening to students and encouraging behaviour that is
congruent with the class rules and redirecting behaviour which does not follow the rules (Calvin,
Sugai, Good & Lee as cited in Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai, 2008). This is also known
as active supervision (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). In order for active
classrooms to be effective the teacher must present the learning in a way which is interesting,
engaging and provides optimal opportunity for student participation (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch,
Myers & Sugai , 2008). This relies on knowing the students well and knowing what motivates them to
learn. Children who are interested and feel included in their learning are more likely to engage in
on-task behaviour such as listening to teacher instruction and participating in class work and
discussion (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). Response opportunities such as
allowing children to write their ideas on the board is a method which promotes student participation
and is more effective than other methods such as choral responding (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch,
Myers & Sugai , 2008). Other incentives within the active classroom which promote student
participation and responsibility of their learning and behaviour include computer assisted
instruction, group reinforcement plans, behaviour contracts and token economies. The point raised
by Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) in regards to the association of feedback and reinforcement
of the rules is further strengthened when the children feel responsible for their rules and is believed
to reduce the incidence of off-task behaviour within the classroom (De Pry & Sugai, 2002 as cited in
Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai , 2008). While the active classroom approach influences
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the behaviour of the children, it is ultimately the teachers interaction with the approach which
Narrowing the focus of the learning environment further, Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley (2002) argue the
importance of the teacher on setting learning goals for the students and the effect that this has on
classroom behaviour. Mastery goals are said to be goals which are learning focused and aim on
mastering the skills and knowledge involved (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Students who are
mastery goal focused have been associated with decreased levels of inappropriate behaviour and an
increased level of on-task behaviour due to their genuine interest and enjoyment of the activity
(Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Performance based goals focus on being able to demonstrate the
skill (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002) but do not focus on acquiring a deep level of understanding
and can therefore be described as shallow learning. There are two types of performance focused
goals: performance-approach and performance-avoidance. Students who have lower skill levels are
more likely to inhibit an avoidance approach to performance whereby they demonstrate off-task,
disruptive behaviour which provides an excuse for underachieving (Elliott, 1997 as cited in Kaplan,
Gheen & Midgley, 2002). Children who are driven by a performance-approach goal generally
demonstrate a high level of skill and on-task behaviour, however it can negatively impact on the
student due to the pressure they put upon themselves to perform and it is often a shallow form of
learning (Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley, 2002).It is therefore argued by Kaplan, Gheen & Midgley (2002)
that teachers should encourage and promote learning environments where the children are driven
by mastery goals. This allows the children to focus on meaningful learning and encourages children
to build upon the skills that they have without competing with their peers. It also encourages the
children who have lower skill levels to have a go, to value their mistakes and thus hinder the
Emmer & Stough (2001) explore the influence that the behaviour of the teacher has on the
behaviour of the students in the classroom. The behaviour and attitude of the teacher is believed to
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be more positive in the classroom when the teacher has a good professional rapport with other staff
members, when the teacher is organised and on top of the work load and when the teacher engages
in reflective practice (Emmer & Stough, 2001).Getting to know the students is also crucial for
positive learning. Thus when the teacher has a positive attitude in the learning environment, the
children are also more likely to be positive and react to towards their learning in an enthusiastic
manner (Emmer & Stough, 2001). Furthermore positive teachers are more resilient when off-task
behaviour does occur and are less likely to let it manifest into stress or burning out (Emmer &
Stough, 2001). Stressed teachers have been associated with presenting negative attitudes in the
classroom and this in turn has a correlation with an increase in off-task behaviour (Emmer & Stough,
2001). Thus it is important for teachers to remain positive so that they can manage inappropriate
behaviour in a constructive way. The positive attitude of the teacher links to the proactive approach
to learning as it focuses on a positive learning experience rather than focusing on the negative
aspects of the classroom. It also focuses on the aim of preventing inappropriate behaviour from
occurring. Thus Emmer & Stough (2001) argue that the attitude of the teacher is very influential on
The previous arguments in this paper have explored the importance of the teacher in prevention
strategies for off-task behaviour, acting before the behaviour has happened and therefore
encouraging on-task behaviour. Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) and Woolfolk and Margetts
(2013) also explored the importance of the teacher in regards to reactive strategies which are a
response to the behaviour after it has occurred and how this can negatively impact on the behaviour
of the class. Reactive strategies are argued by many to be less effective than proactive strategies
because they are most commonly a negative response to a negative behaviour (Clunies-Ross, Little &
Kienhuis, 2008). Sometimes the behaviour continues to persist because the children like being
acknowledged for misbehaving in front of their friends during a reprimand (Woolfolk & Margetts,
2013). Furthermore, when children receive social isolation as a punishment for disruptive behaviour
(Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013), they may become behind in their work and give up trying which only
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encourages the off-task behaviour to persist. Thus it can be argued that the teacher can impact on
student behaviour in a negative way. Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis (2008) explored the importance
of maintaining a balance between reacting to good behaviour and bad behaviour as their studies
found that bad behaviour has a higher incidence of being responded to than good behaviour. It is
argued that reactive strategies can result in positive on-task behaviour, however it is ultimately the
importance of the teacher and how they balance the use of reactive strategies with proactive
strategies which determines which way the behaviour will trend (Clunies-Ross, Little & Kienhuis,
2008).
The writer has argued the significance of the teachers influence on various factors within the
classroom including proactive and preventative approaches to behaviour, the learning goals of the
children and active learning environments including increased opportunities to respond and
ownership of learning. All of these factors influence the behaviour of the children alone. It is
however the influence of the teacher on these factors which is of optimal importance as this
distinguishes whether the behaviour of the children will be directed towards on-task behaviour or
off task behaviour. The writer explored the notion of the teacher promoting a negative impact on
behaviour with reference to the reactive approach to behaviour. While Clunies-Ross, Little &
Kienhuis (2008) and Woolfolk & Margetts (2013) raise valid arguments to suggest that reactive
stances can lead to continued off-task behaviour, it has been proven that reactive approaches can be
advantageous when used in conjunction with proactive and preventative strategies. Finally, the
writer has also explored the influence of the teachers personal attitude in the classroom and how
this impacts on childrens behaviour. It was found that teachers who have a positive attitude in the
classroom have a positive correlation with on-task behaviour and vice versa. Thus it can be
concluded that the impact of the teacher is of paramount importance in regards to influencing the
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References:
Beaman, R., & Wheldall, K. (2000). Teachers use of approval and disapproval in the classroom.
Clunies-Ross, P., Little, E., & Kienhuis, M. (2008). Self-reported and actual use of protective and
reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and
Emmer, E. T., & Stough, L. M. (2001). Classroom management: A critical part of educational
psychology, with implications for teacher education. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 103-112.
Kaplan, A., Gheen, M., & Midgley, C. (2002). Classroom goal structure and student disruptive
Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in
Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2013). Educational psychology (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.:
Pearson Australia.