The Change in the Behavior of Pupils - Case Study Example

Promoting Behaviour to Learn Promoting Behaviour to Learn Executive Summary The change in the behaviour of pupils is one of the major challenges that have drawn attention of scholars and experts. The challenging behaviour of the pupil has created an obstacle in the learning process at school. Scholars suggest the application of behaviour management techniques can be used as an effective tool to persuade behaviour of learning among pupils. This document aims to critically review the implications to maximize learning behaviour of pupils. With the help of behaviourist theories, it shall further evaluate the issue faced in the school to promote behaviour to learn. In addition, we shall analyse various researches, policies and practice to understand these issues in depth. Introduction The development of the field of education emphasizes on maximizing pupils learning behaviour. Researches and studies highlight the challenges faced in an educational institution to persuade learning behaviour. In the past year, behaviour management has been one of the major focuses for the advance research development in the field of education. Studies and researches show that the behaviour management principles, that is, reinforcement, modelling and punishment play a significant role to structure pro-social behaviour also referred as ‘Behaviour development’. The studies suggest that the use of the information and strategies of the behaviour management allows teachers, educationists, and schools provide a wider dimension for the development of the field of education. Rapid change in the society has lead to change in the behaviour patterns and perception of individuals; this has impacted children’s learning and cognitive capabilities (Kamble, 2007). The change in psychology and behaviour patterns of pupil remains one of the major concerns for the policy makers, educational institutions and professionals. According to the research of Gallio and Little (2003), the major issue how to provide training and support to the teacher to boost behaviour of learning among pupils, this has gained attention of policy makers to increase inclusion, widening participation and attainment should be enacted in the educational setting to make it effective. Government takes an initiate to improve educational setting through introducing training program for teachers and renewing education policies. Government offers Initial teacher Education (ITE) that provides an opportunity for teachers and education professionals to establish a foundation for effective practice. Government aims to promote better and improved educational system, and therefore the government focuses on the performance of range of school to determine the effectiveness of management of behaviour. NTQs provide an opportunity for the professional expertise to increase the benefits and support for the trainees. This allows the professional expertise to communication and address issues in the educational setting in an effective manner. In order to evaluate behaviour management, a constant check on the practices and changes in the educational setting by newly qualified teachers (NTQs) is observed. The behaviour of pupils and teachers are one of the major challenges to promote learning behaviour. As cited in ‘Understanding effective learning’, Hewitt (2008) highlights that the current survey shows an increase in learning behaviour of the pupil, but the change in demand and expectation have grew in past few years, due to which promoting learning behaviour in dynamic condition is a major challenge (Hewitt, 2008). To meet the educational expectation, education professional and institutions shall incorporate different strategies and policies to enhance the effectiveness of the educational system to promote learning behaviour. Therefore, the educational institutions are required to enhance their initial teacher training. Continuing profession development (CPD) and Dedicated Professional Grant funded (DPGF) are advices to work together to disseminating good practice for the schools (Hewitt, 2008). Training School program shall embody behaviour management to maximize pupil’s effective behaviour prevail over Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Therefore, the trainees should be well acknowledging regarding the purpose and principle of behaviour management to anticipated classroom disruption (Hewitt, 2008). The trainees should be provided with the absolute accesses to research and theoretical explanation about learning behaviour to secure and enhance understanding behaviour of pupils (Hewitt, 2008). Learning behaviour cannot be clearly defined or reviews as it is incorporated several variables linked to the society, family and school environment. Therefore, it is essential to determine the complexity of these factors to understand influences and pupil behaviour in the classroom. These complexities are considered one of the major obstacles for the teacher to promote learning behaviour among pupil as they are unaware of the external influences of the families, cultural and society. 1. Literature review What is learning? The process of learning is defined as a process of acquiring new, modified and reinforcing current knowledge, skills, values or preference of an individual to synthesize different type of information In other words, learning is the ability of an individual to develop new skill, knowledge and enhance their conciseness on a wider platform. According to Hewitt (2008), learning happens when individual come across new experience, skills, information and knowledge that they were not aware of previously’. It can be said that learning is the realization of new facts and information. According to the Kamble (2007) in his book ‘Psychology of Learning Behaviours’ defines learning as ‘a relatively permanent change in a behavioural tendency which occurs as a result of reinforced practice (Kamble, 2007)’. The definition explains that the change in the behaviour is influenced through various factors and environment. The process of learning is an on-going process that may take place in informal, formal environment. Analysing definitions of learning it can be determined that there is no rigid definition that briefs the concept of learning. It can be analysed though the definition that learning is an on-going process that can be achieved through various methods and sources, perhaps there is a great difference in the view of experts in educational psychology and what we perceive about learning. This is one the major reason due to which several theories and learning models have been proposed to formulate and direct practical approaches to maximize the learning process. These theories provide a platform for the educational professional to develop strategies in order to enhance approaches of learning. Behaviourism, Cognitive/constructivism and social constructivism are one of the major theoretical approaches to formulate effective educational strategies and policies to promote learning behaviour. These theories are not only models and theories to learn; perhaps these theories and models are one of the supportive, influential contemporary theories for research and development of learning behaviour. Therefore, we shall carefully analyse each of the theory in detail to understand behaviour of learning. Behaviourism Behaviourism is the change in the knowledge of an individual with the stimulus condition. The theory states that the human behaviour is associated with his mental and external conditions. An individual’s behaviour responses vary with the stimuli, one may adopt the response in a different way as other does because of the different psychological and external conditions drives one’s perception. The theory emphasizes on the actions one may assert rather than the mental or emotional condition. In addition, the theory does not provide understanding regarding normal or abnormal behaviours; rather it posits that the habits of an individual are learned. It studies the action and direct behaviours that can be observed, rather than, thoughts. The theory assumes that behaviours are learned and unlearned, they can be replaced by new behaviours. If an individual’s behaviour becomes unacceptable, it can be replaced through rewarded responses. Cognitive/Constructivism The theory of Constructivism is based on the observation and scientific study to determine the process of learning of an individual. The theory states that the consciousness of an individual is constructed on his or her own real life experiences and events. If an individual comes across new information, then he reconciles it with his experiences and believes. As a result, some of some of the information is accepted or may be discarded. Constructivism theory can be useful to understand different teaching practices and the view of learning. It can be used as an effective tool to enhance the learning process of pupil through the experiment and real world problems. Social Constructivism Social Constructivism was proposed by Vygotsky (1978), the theory suggest that the development of cognitive abilities of an individual root from its culture. It states that the cultural tool are a major concern for the development of one’s consciousness, therefore, the theory stresses on the cultural and social significance of an individual for the development of his concept. Behaviour for Learning Learning is one the most significant process of a human being that starts with the birth till his death. It a complex process that plays an essential role in the development of an individual’s cognitive abilities. Behaviour for learning is a fundamental phenomenon in the field of education that has drawn attention of several educational experts and professionals. According to the study of Shuell (2013), to maximize educational output of the pupil, promoting behaviour to learn is a fundamental principle that shall be embedded in the educational strategies and policies. Therefore, the teacher should understand the difference between a child demonstrating a ‘good behaviour’ and ‘behaviour to learn’. Good behaviour refers to the attentiveness of the pupil in the classroom, remaining silent and following the instruction. Didau (2012) states, “They’ve got nothing at all to do with the types of behaviour required for learning. All too often we get good behaviour hopelessly confused with good behaviour for learning”. It can be observed that it is essential for the teacher to be distinguished between the good behaviour and good behaviour to learn. A good behaviour is essential to maintain the class environment and classroom learning, but in few cases it also has been observed that the pupil that exhibit good behaviours are not efficient to learn. According to Deci and Flaste (1995), stopping the student’s misbehaviour makes teacher to amend and enhance class environment. The assumption proposed by Deci and Flaste need to re-enact as it ignores the psychological requirement of an individual to restore self-determination of an individual. Kamble (2007) in his study highlights that the gazing and calling out may create disruption in the classroom that may distract the other pupils in the classroom and can ultimately ruin the lesson. In order to analyse ‘good behaviour’ and ‘good behaviour to learn’ a classroom was observed with the different children. In school A, it was observed the child displayed a ‘good behaviour’ in the classroom, remained silent, listen to lecture attentively and paid attention to the teacher in the classroom. During the class discussion, when the child was questioned regarding the lectures he learned in the class, he was unable to answer the question. This indicated the teacher that though the child has been demonstrating ‘good behaviour’ in the classroom, but is unable to respond to the question. This reflects that the child was disengaged during the lecture, therefore the classroom that have a low level of distraction may be an obstacle or cause of disengage of the learning process of the child. Therefore, it can be concluded that ‘good behaviour’ and ‘good behaviour for learning’ both play a significant role to develop maximize pupil potential to learn. To determine the influential factors to promote behaviour for leaning, a systematic review regarding the application of theories to explain learning behaviour in schools was carried out. Powell and Todd (2004) proposed a conceptual framework to understand dynamic learning behaviour of pupils. The model makes use of the three fundamental principles, that is, Relationship with self, Relationship with curriculum and Relationship with others. In order to understand the issue the modelling purpose is included in the triangle with the external influences such as families, policies, culture and external institutions. According to the study of Powell and Todd (2004), Behaviour for Learning (BFL) with the support of DFES is a fundamental response that is recommended to understand the outcomes of behaviour for learning in different schools. The study highlights link between the social knowledge and behaviour to understand the learning among children. It indicates a positive relation between three elements as B4L illustrates “All too often teachers and the media perceive behaviour management to be solely concerned with establishing control over disruptive pupils” (Powell and Todd 2004). This reflects that the pupil’s behaviour is affected by the way a teacher behaves that eventually impact’s pupils’ behaviour to learn. Similar has been cited in the research study of GTC (2008, p.5), “Teachers beliefs about learning are the foundation upon which they make choices about how… changing these beliefs is not easy, but it is possible”. In other words, teacher’s behaviour in the classroom to control, motivate and persuade children to learn highly influence behaviour for learning among children. The new qualified teachers are required to ensure effective implementation of behaviour management in their practice to enhance the effectiveness of behaviour to learn. It is also suggested that the government’s initiative for expectation shall effectively incorporate suitable behaviour policies. ITE’s and NQT’s policies should include more effective approach to determine the challenges teacher face to distinguish between ‘good behaviour’ and ‘good behaviour for learning’. In addition, the training programs shall highlight the significance of behaviour for learning in the teaching practices to prevail over the challenges to promote behaviour for learning. For the purpose, number of strategies has been proposed under the framework of B4L theories, policies and practices. Relationship with self In the whole framework describe on of the integral point can be termed as ‘Relationship With Self’. The urge to learn in a classroom has an important role while a student is in the process of learning. Now the question arises that how this shall be done? In order to promote this, teachers should be considerate about their students individually. As studies show that self-esteem in a student to learn can play an important role and therefore, develops and interest of learning. This can practically be done by teachers through a survey by individually analysing every child’s mind that how an interest to learn can be created in students. As the factor known as self-esteem is developed in a child, he/ she naturally takes an interest in the learning process, which enables in efficient learning. Making him understand that what he is about to learn and what good can happen to him if it is done can develop the motivation in a child. According to some researchers an implementation of grading system can help in developing an urge of competence, which indirectly makes a student to build a better relationship with himself in motivating to excel in the studies. This system in today’s schooling atmosphere is implemented, and we can observe this in almost every institution. But, on the other hand, it has also been observed that some students are even victimized to such approach. This happens due to external pressures that a child develops within himself by having a fear to fail in and the consequences thereafter. Researchers overcome this issue by defining the psychology that a student should be praised and that no such feeling of fear to fail should be developed in a student which in some cases can severely affect the students’ self-confidence and his esteem (TES, 2009). The feeling that a student should have in order to attain good results he or she should simply be restrained to self and pure satisfaction, which can be achieved by making a student understand the merits of learning and its effects on their personalities. Self-efficacy is considered to be a useful element that should be present in order for gaining a better understanding of effective learning process, which gradually results to better academic outcomes. Researchers also believe that a student’s perception of potential barriers to learning and his ability to overcome these and initiating learning process is expressed in a student’s behavioural intention, and this is a personal perception rather than a general attitude or belief which is indirectly related to learning behaviour. They to some extend conclude that a student’s intention to learn is related to his awareness of the features that will stop him from learning and a student’s judgment about whether he can engage in the learning process or not and if yes how should the distracting factors should be countered in order to promote efficient learning. The realization to this feeling has a very prominent and positive effect on one’s psychology, which can have an impact through positive results. Self-efficacy provides a strong foundation to human motivation. This happens because unless a student believes that his action can generate the outcomes he wants, he has little incentive to act or to preserve in the face of difficulties. Therefore, it can be concluded really well that in order to generate successful academic results ones relationship to himself in the course of study should be maintained and that teachers should be focused on a student’s individual mind. It can also be determined and said that developing motivation in a student for him to have successful outcomes could enhance this approach. Relationship with curriculum: Effective learning process includes a display of well elaborated and easy in understanding curriculum as it is clear that a curriculum with a clear understanding plays an important role. This is one of the challenges that face academics when designing lessons and styles in which they should be communicated are concerned. The whole of the curriculum should be designed in such a way that it conveys the discussion being done in the topics of different subjects in a conceptual way. For that, the study content should be well elaborated with theories as well as diagrammatic representations. Students should be encouraged to practice and understand the formulas and techniques of learning the curriculum and with that students should be encouraged to analyse the diagrammatic representations of different concepts present in the theories. This enhances the capabilities of the student for a sound understanding, which can create an overall result on the academic performances of the students. The National Education Boards who are responsible for regulating the syllabus and amending it as per the requirement of time should be well aware of the importance of a well-displayed curriculum. Measures to produce such data are to be taken for creating an effective learning environment for students from different class at different levels. In addition to this these boards should also be punctual in the creations of standards for a standard curriculum as well as their implementations, amendments if necessary and conveying those amendments to the respective institutions (Newmann, 1992). The curriculum should be well defined with plenty of teaching methodology in order for teachers to create a successful learning environment in the classroom. The curriculum should also focus the importance of differential learning to guarantee that the students are provided with various ways to access a curriculum and its instruction (Illeris, 2009). This enables a student to interact and participate actively in class for a much richer, knowledgeable learning process (Fredricks & Blumenfield, 2004). This methodology is based on a concept that all students have different learning styles, strengths, needs and abilities and therefore, this type of approach can highlight this issue which is faced while going through designing an effective curriculum (Teacher Tolerance, 2005). Such measure should be implemented which can create a difference at large-scale effective learning. As studies show that an effective a well-defined curriculum can play its integral role in developing effective learning environment that enables students to be successful (DFES, 2005). Relationship with Others A relationship with other refers to the interactive behaviour patterns of pupils with their teacher, other classmates, and classroom etc. The B4L model stresses on the significance of ‘relationship with other’ as it one of the fundamental phenomena to trigger pupils behaviour towards external factors as the studies highlight that the external influence plays a major role to construct learning abilities of an individual (DFES, 2012). The concept resides within the circumstance of the theory of constructivism of Vygotsky (1978) elaborating importance of a social nature to construct individual’s behaviour. The theory suggests perceiving the interactive patterns of individual with its peers as a tool to structure one’s consciousness. It suggest that an individual’s cognitive capabilities boost within its peer, it can assess enhance the learning process of pupil (Kamble, 2007). In order to determine the effectiveness pupils of school A were observed, the different teaching approach with the support of teachers and teacher’s assistants enable access of the learning process of pupils (Elton, 1989). The diversity in the methods and demonstrating lecture with the assistance and guidance of teacher could enhance the potential of  children to enhance the level of ability of children (Kohan, 1999). It was observed that the teacher’s assistance and the focus of the small group in the classroom enhance self esteem and develop better understanding towards the subject (Mumford, 1995). It allows children to feel more secure and comfortable, as it increased confidence and potential to understand and participation towards the subject (Kamble, 2007). Children that face difficulties with communication and social interaction were grouped among nurture and social language grouped (Porter, 2006). The guidance and support provided to these children encouraged them to improve communication skills. The teachers to lead these groups should be confident to interact and socialize with the children and others to build confidence level. Other adults and spouse are suggested to take part in the lesson this ultimately increase participation and progress in their learning (Paechter, 1999). The study of Powell and Todd (2004) show that the social interaction is a crucial element for cognitive development and influences of learning behaviour of pupils in various educational settings (Steer, 2005). Therefore, these groups are suggested to interact with a heterogeneous group in order to enhance pupil engagement, social participation and verbal interaction to improve learning. As observed in school A, curriculum that were taught focusing ‘partner talk’ with the teacher assistance and head teacher in the primary pupil (Kamble, 2007). The children were advices to explore, discuss and discover the ideas together have better and effective learning outcomes. The teacher’s feedback regarding collaborative learning was remarked as an ‘outstanding’ lesson with a better learning. The teachers were provided with the choice to do the grouping, the criteria of grouping varied with the staff and subjects. During the course, heterogeneous grouping happened to be most successful as compared to others (Donnelly et al., 2009). Children were found to be happily engaged in the learning lesson and working together to complete the given tasks. Pupils with the lower abilities were assisted with their peer members and teaching assistant (Adelman & Taylor, 2008). When one of the child was done with the task, he or she assessed the one who was unable to complete the task. Ofsted (2010) in his study highlights the significance of group studies as, "Relationship are very good and encourage children to become fully engaged in learning activities. Children enjoy learning and join in all activities with increasing confidence (Powell & Todd, 2004). The relationships established help motivate pupils to learn. The school has outstanding strengths in how well partnerships promote pupils, learning well being". Conclusion Analysing the information it can be determined that the versatility in the efforts to promote behaviour for learning is attainable through the use of effective behaviour management theories and practices in educational settings (ALT, 2013). Different techniques and strategies can be made through the use of behaviour management. The study highlights that the main focus should be on creating effective environment to maximize pupils learning (Bandura, 1985). Teachers are advices to adopt effective leadership strategies to cope with the dynamic behaviour patterns of pupils. In addition, the major challenge to overcome cultural, social and background setting can be overcome through engaging pupils and motivating curriculum with the heterogamous group settings (Kamble, 2007). Educational professional and institutions are suggested to promote effective educational strategies in the classroom and teacher’s training to motivate pupil to maximize behaviour to learn. In addition, versatility and group lesson should be encouraged to promote relationship with the pupils (Hewitt, 2008). The study highlights the use of different learning theories in the teaching plays a vital role to overcome the diversity and dynamic pupil’s behaviour. The combination of cognitive and constructivist style approach creates to be more active and effective approach to maximize pupil’s behaviour for learning (Hewitt, 2008). 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