EDUC 3620 - RELATIONSHIPS FOR LEARNING

‘NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF REWARD SYSTEMS IN CLASSROOMS’

MARLEY FAIRCLOUGH - ID: 2151189

ANALYSIS

The Anonymous published letter (Anon, 2015, p.954) in response to Laura Oxley’s article ‘Do schools need
lessons on motivation’ (New Voices, 2015) highlights key issues associated with Reward Systems used within
Educational Settings. The article aims to address behavioural management concerns within her child’s
classroom, as a result of the ‘happy and sad list’ Reward System. It further identifies the possible long-term
negative psychological impacts Reward Systems can cause to an adolescences social and emotional well being
and cognitive functioning. Research into inclusive classroom practices suggests that punishing consequences for
misbehaviour hinders academic performance, instead creates feelings of resentment and rejection of learning,
often becoming the main cause of increased behavioural issues (Martinez, 2009). Particular concerns draw
focus upon a student’s behaviour becoming a reflection of one's intellectual capability, without taking into
consideration possible reasoning for the child's temperament is due to possible learning difficulties. Factors of
social and emotional disturbance wield a large influence on one's likelihood to act out in a classroom setting.
Disruptive behaviours often arise as a result of underlying external factors beyond the schooling environment. A
student’s developmental stage, emotional well-being, and intellectual difficulties can have a major influence on
a student's social interaction within a classroom setting and how they communicate with peers and teachers
can indicate a lot about how they are coping with the learning situation.

DISCUSSION

Predominant approaches to behaviour management within educational systems remains based on various
reward and punishment systems that place significant emphasis on extrinsic motivation to encourage active and
productive engagement. Extrinsic motivation occurs from outside the individual, as formed by the expectation
of receiving external rewards (Kohn, 1993). This process specifically aims to ‘control behaviour and ensure
compliance,’ posing significant implication’s to students learning environment, as is detracts the value of
learning for the purpose of increased knowledge and understanding (Oxley, 2015). For the majority of students
that develop the skills to be able to conform to school disciplinary systems and avoid punishment, the appeal of
praise often can become a significant reason for completing schoolwork. Conversely, for those students that find
themselves non-adherent to these forms of motivation repeatedly find themselves in troubled situations. It is
often the students with social, emotional and intellectual difficulties that lack the skills to respond adaptively to
the education dispensary processes, due to being unable to effectively control emotions and responses and
therefore inevitability finding themselves becoming negatively affected by Reward Systems. Despite the
apparent ineffectiveness Reward Systems have towards motivation, this method continues to be dominantly
used within the majority of Australian Education practices (Bennett, 2015).
Major emphasis is placed on lowered student self-esteem throughout the Anonymous Letter as a result of being
publicly disciplined. The use of a sad face being displayed below a students name for being deemed ‘disruptive’
has failed to formally address the reasoning behind being placed in the category nor does it provide an adequate
indication of what approaches can be taken to change the behaviour that has occurred (Oakley, 2015). For
example, perhaps an incident initially used verbal communication given from the teacher to resolve what had
occurred and explained the need for a change in behaviour, further extending the punishment to categorizing
the student then rejects the fact the situation had been previously dealt with, instead continues punishment
beyond what is necessary for compliance (Martinez, 2009). Although this method demonstrates that actions do
have consequences, this does not dismiss the clear negative associations linked to social interaction that stem
from this form of behaviour management. The behaviour chart discards factors of social and emotional
development within the classroom dynamic and fails to address any means to create greater learning
productivity for a student.
Additionally, when taking into account the diverse range of students located within a classroom-learning
environment, each with their own individual behavioural and social, emotional and intellectual differences it
becomes clear each student need for structured authoritative management is significantly varied depending
upon their capabilities (MacFarlane, 2013). Comparing student behaviour on a scale can be considered highly
unjust when each student exhibits varied forms of interference within a classroom dynamic. The ‘Happy and
Sad’ List categorizes behaviour into a restricted list of ‘good' or ‘bad' and fails to indicate the severity of
behaviours, for example, each student actions and reasons for behaviour management may be completely
different however are categorized at the same level of non-compliance on the behaviour chart. Therefore the
List fails to illustrate any growth in choices or progression in behaviour as being either positive or negative.
It can be noted that disruptive behaviours have considerable links to the physiological well-being of a student,
with classroom interactions, attitude towards learning and deconstructive actions being highly reflective of
internal emotional difficulties, external social insecurities and one's relationship to the learning environment
(Armstrong, 2016). Thereby, emphasis should be placed more on finding means to individually address
students’ behaviour issues in ways that are likely to be responsive to their specific needs, without drawing any
further attention to the behaviour than necessary, rather than visually comparing students' behaviour patterns
against the entire class (Oakley, 2015). Comparing students only discourages students to improve behaviour;
instead permits for increased outbursts in a ploy for attention (Cooper, 2011). To avoid behaviour difficulties’
rendering into academic and social disengagement focus is required on teachers placing emphasis on building
positive relationships with students, whereby a student receives constant positive reassurance and behavioural
assistance, which in turn will work to enhance inclusive classroom practices.
It is vital to recognize that if students are to exhibit patterns of disruptive misbehaviour for extended periods of
time motivational underpinnings must be addressed. Student behaviour can identify as either intentional or
unintentional dependant upon factors associated with social and emotional wellbeing (Martinez, 2009). It is
important teachers take into consideration the reasoning behind reactive behaviours when making
considerations for school intervention strategies.
RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for addressing future behavioural concerns are outlined in this section and aim to draw
focus upon inclusive classroom dynamics of increased Intrinsic Motivation and Restorative Practices for
enhanced student engagement. It is highly recommended through this discussion that the teacher/school
should dismiss the use of Reward Systems as a source of behaviour management within classroom settings, in
particular, the ‘happy' and ‘sad' behaviour labelling process. Instead, teachers should aim to create motivating
and productive learning environments that centre on positive reinforcement as a form of instilling appropriate
classroom learning behaviours among students. Kohn (1993) in ‘Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work’ states
‘Educational environments that offer rewards for increased performance are destined to be ineffective, as incentive
systems fail to enhance intrinsic motivation for learning.’ Intrinsic Motivation stems from internal motivation and
helps to change behavioural issues for the long-term (Kelsey, 2010). While extrinsic motivational systems
regulate external incentives, Intrinsic Motivation works to facilitate self-regulation towards negative actions
that may occur in a learning environment, whereby the student is able to identify, understand and find a way to
improve their behaviour (Kelsey, 2010). While Reward Systems can be effective in controlling disruptive
behaviours in the short term, it fails to support students' development of values nor allows students to become
self-directed learners (Kelsey, 2010).
Research conducted by Kohn (1993) identifies that Reward Systems result in students feeling over controlled by
teachers as relationships become dependent on evaluation, in turn discouraging student engagement,
teamwork, and cooperation among students, as learning centres around a competition like a format. If to embed
effective engagement and productive behaviour management educators must work to ensure students
participate in valuable classroom decision-making, which in turn will build upon students Intrinsic Motivation
to enhance learning outcomes (Kohn, 2001).
It can be established that learners are able to gain increased knowledge when they are intrinsically interested.
Motivation works to further enhance cognitive processing and promotes individual critical and creating
thinking (Kelsey, 2010). Students that are highly motivated have increased the potential to process information
with more likelihood of paying attention in order to understand the material. Thus, motivation works to direct
behaviour towards a constructive focus, in turn, enabling students to make more positive learning choices
within a classroom environment.
Restorative practices aim to build and maintain relationships while working collaboratively with students
(Thorborne & Blood, 2013). It is evident that learning is far more beneficial to students when being given the
opportunities to learn skills required to respond adaptively to challenging situations, which allows students to
develop emotional awareness and skills necessary for lifelong learning. Schools have the ability to build upon
both social and academic measures through adaptive practices; it is helping students to find effective strategies
for overcoming difficult situations and in turn building upon their social and emotional resilience (Thorborne &
Blood, 2013). A self-directed classroom environment can work towards increasing students' social and
intellectual capabilities by allowing a child to take on an active and responsible role in their learning (Flanagan,
2014). Self-directed learning further works to provide a student with a sense of control of the events that occur
within learning, this being due to the class not strictly being controlled by the teacher, rather it becomes a place
where students can work at their own level, pace and in their preferred learning style (Flanagan, 2014). Giving
the students the role of the decision maker enhances active participating in classroom practices and allows
students to become increasing intrinsically motivated as a result (Kelsey, 2013). It is about encouraging
challenging students to be actively responsible for their own learning, along with the learning of peers located
within their classroom, in turn posing to foster positive relationships for learning and an increased sense of
belonging.

CONCLUSION

Motivating students to adapt their behavioural choices is an ongoing issue throughout educational settings, with
some practices involving extrinsic motivation; this has highlighted a range of negative connotations associated
with students. Whereas creating a supportive and relationship-based learning environment allows students to
develop skills and abilities with intrinsically motivated choices that result in more appropriate behavioural
choices and a more supportive learning environment. Using extrinsically motivational behaviour management
practices has proven to be less than effective, yet it is often still employed throughout schools as teachers have
gained an illusion of control and struggle to maintain this control over their classes, while inadvertently
damaging those students who struggle with their behaviour choices the most. The need to adopt research-
supported education strategies to assist in classroom behaviour management and learning opportunities is one
that is arguably the most significant factors faced in education today. Providing these positive strategic changes
will have an overwhelmingly positive effect not just at the classroom level, but also as a school culture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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