Ramon Lewis Without effective behaviour management, a positive and productive classroom environment is impossible to achieve. Finding the most effective techniques for producing behaviour change and preventing the development of classroom discipline problems is a moderately stressful part of the professional lives of many teachers, and a major reason for job dissatisfaction. The need for confidence regarding the impact of particular strategies is important to teachers given that the ability to manage students effectively is a critical component of their sense of professional identity. This presentation focuses on the results of attempts to introduce the Developmental Management approach into all schools in the Northern Metropolitan Region of Victoria, Australia, as part of the 'train the trainer', AiZ project. The rationale underlying the 15 recommendations for teacher behaviour implicit in the DMA are highlighted and examples of schools' attempts to introduce elements of the DMA into primary and secondary classrooms are discussed.

1. ETAI Conference. July 2010
Developmental Classroom Management.
Obedience or Responsibility?
Keeping students adult and rational
Ramon(Rom) Lewis
r.lewis@latrobe.edu.au

2. Recent research shows that, on average,
regardless of a student’s home
background and the school’s resources,
Approximately 50% of the variation in
an individual student’s learning
outcomes relates to what goes on in
individual classrooms.
Review of Research in Education.Vol.32.2008:328-369.
Assumption 1.What teachers say and do in class
strongly affects students’ learning and values.

3. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

4. Reasons for behaving well
• “If you don’t you get into trouble”
• “You get points”
• “They tell your parents”
• “The teachers like you”
• “You’ll have more friends”
• “I’ll learn more, get a good job and have a good life”
• “It’s not right, I’m a good girl”
• “It’s not fair, others have to be able to learn”
Assumption 2. Most children are at best obedient. Few
are responsible.

5. Main Research Studies
Australia: Victoria
22 Primary & 22 Secondary schools (1998)
15 Secondary schools (2002)
8 Secondary schools (2007-8)
46 Primary & 150 Secondary schools (2008-13)
Israel: Tel Aviv
98 teachers & 836 students from 4 high schools and 8 junior
high schools.
China: Chengdu region (Sichuan province)
159 teachers & 502 students from 8 schools (2 lower
secondary) in

6. What proportion of students who misbehave “only a little” or “never”
encourage their classmates to act responsibly?
China
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Exactly Like Very Much Mostly Like Me A Little Like Mostly Not Not At All Like
Me Like Me Me Like Me Me

7. What proportion of students who misbehave “only a little” or “never”
encourage their classmates to act responsibly?
China Israel
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Exactly Like Very Much Mostly Like Me A Little Like Mostly Not Not At All Like
Me Like Me Me Like Me Me

8. What proportion of students who misbehave “only a little” or “never”
encourage their classmates to act responsibly?
China Israel Australia
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Exactly Like Very Much Mostly Like Me A Little Like Mostly Not Not At All Like
Me Like Me Me Like Me Me

9. Assumption 3. Very few children feel responsible for
the behaviour of their classmates.
It’s unAustralian!!!

10. Developmental Classroom Management (DMA).
Keeping students adult and rational
Main assumptions
All students want to be accepted by their peer group.
Most students, when in their rational ‘adult’ state, have
goodwill towards others and make rational decisions.
What teachers say and do will make a difference to
whether or not the student stay in their ‘adult’.
If teachers don’t “explain themselves”, challenging children
generally assume the worst.

11. Broadmeadows Primary School
Number of times students exited from Learning Spaces by term
Exit
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Term 3 '08 Term 4 '08
Most of the 218 students at the school are from poor families. The school is
in the most extreme category for disadvantage.

12. Broadmeadows Primary School (N=218)
Number of times students exited from Learning Spaces by term

13. Broadmeadows Primary School
Number of times students exited from Learning Spaces by term
The school now performs well above the average of all Australian schools
in numeracy and above the national average in reading and spelling.

14. Lakeside S.C. Principal -David Reynolds
• “Staff , parent and student opinion data has
become much stronger in the area of classroom
behaviour. As this is a precondition for
improved student learning outcomes,
subsequent improvements we are seeing in
literacy learning must be attributable at least
partially to the adoption of the DMA strategies.”

15. Developmental Classroom Management (DMA).
Keeping students adult and rational
Real Criteria for success
• Reports from emergency replacement
teachers
• Student behaviour on days when rewards and
punishments are minimised

16. The Developmental Management Approach
Strategy 1. Rights & Responsibilities – Not Rules
Classroom Rights
Students and the teacher have the right to do as much work
as possible
Students and the teacher have the right to feel comfortable
and safe in the classroom
Two kinds of Responsibility
Personal Responsibility
(I do the right thing)
Communal Responsibility
(I encourage others to do the right thing)

17. Punishment: Punishes students who
misbehave, increasing the level of punishment if
necessary.
Discussion: Discusses with students the impact
their behavior has on others, and negotiates
with students on a one-to-one basis
Involvement: Involves students in classroom
discipline decision making.
Hinting: Hints and gives non-directional
descriptions of unacceptable behavior.
Recognition: Recognizes and rewards the
appropriate behavior of individual students or the
class.
Aggression: Uses aggressive techniques.

18. Most Recent Relevant Research Publications
• Romi. S., Lewis, R., Roache. J., & Riley. P. The Impact of Teachers'
Aggressive Management Techniques on Students' Attitudes to
Schoolwork (in Press). The Journal of Educational Research.
• Romi. S., & Lewis, R., & Katz. Y. A. (2009). Student responsibility and
classroom discipline in Australia, China and Israel. Compare,
39(4):439-452.
• Lewis, R. (2008). The developmental management approach to
classroom behaviour: Responding to individual needs. Melbourne:
ACER Press. (Republished by Routledge. USA as Understanding Pupil
Behaviour, 2009)
• Lewis, R., Romi. S., Xing. Q, & Katz, Y. A. (2008) Student reactions to
teachers' classroom discipline in Australia, China and Israel. Teaching
and Teacher Education, 24(3): 715-724.
• Lewis, R., Romi. S., R., Xing, Q., & Katz, Y. (2005). A comparison of
teachers' classroom discipline in Australia, China and Israel. Teaching
and Teacher Education, 21: 729-741.

19. Summary of Research
In Israeli and Australian samples
• When teachers use ‘coercive’ management
techniques (Punishment [without a working
relationship] & Aggression) students do not act
more responsibly.
• When teachers use more ‘inclusive’ techniques
(Recognition, Punishment [within a working
relationship], Discussion, Involvement &
Hinting) students act more responsibly

20. Summary of Research
• When stressed by misbehaviour, many
teachers increase their use of ‘coercive’
management techniques and reduce their use
of the ‘inclusive’ techniques.
• Teachers who become more coercive make
students less adult/rational and more
irrational/irresponsible.

21. Developmental Management Approach (DMA)
Based on - Four Patterns of Student Behaviour
A. Managed by normal curriculum
These students manage themselves in order to learn what is
contained in the curriculum
B. Managed within the class
These students are occasionally distracted or disruptive, but do
not have to be isolated or referred to others
C. Managed out of class
These students cannot be managed as part of a group and
need to be isolated, sent out or referred to others
D. Not managed These students generally seem unmanageable no
matter what is tried

22. DMA Techniques
• A behaviour students – Visual and verbal hints
• B behaviour students– Calm assertive control via
systematic use of Rewards for effort, and logical
consequences for lack of effort - to act responsibly
• C behaviour students– One on one, adult discussions
to reorient values
• D behaviour students– Rebuilding student’s self
concept via a focus on their feelings of Competence,
Usefulness and Belonging
Lewis, R. (2008). The developmental management approach to classroom
behaviour: Responding to individual needs. Melbourne: ACER Press.
(Republished by Routledge. USA as Understanding Pupil Behaviour, 2009)

23. Implementation of the DMA
• 141 Primary and 53 Secondary schools in the
Northern Metropolitan Region of Victoria,
Australia (as part of the AiZ project – Headed
by Prof David Hopkins) <www.aiz.vic.edu.au>
• 20 Primary and 20 Secondary schools in the
Western Region of Victoria, Australia

26. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

37. We have 2 Rights & 2 Responsibilities

38. Our Values

39. 1 /2 Level

41. Community Kids at 5 /6

43. Hints [A behaviour children]
• Let students know that rights are being
ignored without telling student(s) what to do.
• Allow students ‘room’ to remain adult and act
responsibly, rather than be controlled like
children, or to resist or rebel like children.

44. Visual hints
Everyone A few children Some students
Can work Can’t work well are being
well distracted

45. Verbal hints
Personal Responsibility
• I’m disappointed there’s so much talking.
• The talking seems to be preventing some children
from concentrating.
• I thought we agreed not to distract people.
• It’s a pity some students aren’t encouraging others
to keep the noise down.
• What are you doing? Are you distracting anyone?

46. Verbal hints
Communal Responsibility
• I’m disappointed. There’s so much talking, and no-
one is encouraging others to keep the noise down.
• I thought we agreed not to let others distract
people.
• The talking seems to be preventing some children
from concentrating and no-one seems to care.
• Why aren’t you trying to stop others who are
distracting your friends ?

47. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

49. The impact of the DMA

50. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

51. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

52. Achievement Northern Metropolitan
Improvement Zones Region

53. Thomastown Meadows Primary School
Interviews with 5 students per teacher for 22 teachers
2008: Q 1. If someone was doing the wrong thing/behaving
inappropriately, what does your teacher do?
She tells them off, yells at them , gives warning, sends them to
another room, you get into trouble, raises her voice, they have
to go and sit by themselves, miss out on the fun, screamed at
them, made to sit on floor, made to go to another room, yells at
them and growls at them and says don’t be naughty, stop that,
gives us lollies.

54. Interviews with 5 students per teacher for 5 teachers
2009: Q 1. (5 teachers/5 students per teacher) If someone
was doing the wrong thing/behaving inappropriately, what
does your teacher do?
Looks at them, gives then a warning, talks to them, sit them
on the floor, sit them by themselves, gives them a reminder,
hints, points to the rights and responsibilities (R & R), tells
them nicely what they’re doing wrong, keep her temper,
reminds them and reminds them to look at the R &R, talks
about how they are infringing on their R&R.

55. 2008: Q5. How many times in a day does your teacher have to
raise their voice?
3 – 4, 10, every day, 3 in the morning , 4 in the afternoon and
3 in the last hour, over 10 million times.
2009:Q5. How many times in a day does your teacher have
to raise their voice?
Never, none, always polite, never mean, she doesn’t really
yell, she doesn’t like to , sometimes once or zero, little bit,
depends...once or twice, most of the time she never does, she
hasn’t raised her voice- ever, she doesn’t raise her voice, she
hasn’t had to raise her voice, maybe never, not normally,
about once a week, 2 or 3 times, 3 to 4 times a day, about 3
times, 5 times for the naughty people.

56. One year after the introduction of the DMA
Craigieburn Secondary College – 22% reduction in
teacher referral out of class
Lakeside College – 46% reduction in teacher
referral out of class

57. Reservoir West Primary School
2009 Government School Performance Summary

58. La Trobe S. C. Principal.- Glenn White
• “The collaborative research project was
invaluable to the college. It resulted in
significant changes to the way in which staff
interacted with students and this in turn
resulted in less student misbehaviour in class,
students being more engaged in their
learning and a much more positive learning
environment.”

59. New Project
2010-13
Approx $500.000 Funding (ARC and Ed Dep’t)
How to support and sustain changes in teachers’
classroom management behaviour.
Evaluating the impact of 3 types of Professional
development
• System
• Classroom
• Individual

61. Assertion [B behaviour children]
Logical Recognitions
Consequences for Effort
Expectations
The final Consequence is Isolation within or removal from the classroom

62. Recognise the EFFORT that goes into behaving responsibly.
Provide recognition for the effort that goes into appropriate
Social behaviour, not only Academic behaviour
• Talk A and B behaviour students out of accepting rewards
once they realise the importance of rights (and hence the
need to act responsibly)
• Provide more frequent recognition for challenging
students when they make the effort to behave ‘normally’
(Come on time, bring equipment, sit in seat, listen when
others are speaking.
• Give them what they need not what they deserve!

63. Assertion [B behaviour children]
Calm tone is ESSENTIAL!
1. Yakir, .............you’re talking. It’s disturbing
others. They have a right to work. Please be
quiet !
2. I understand but please be quiet.
3. You have a choice. Either you sit
quietly or ……..
4. I don’t intend to force you. However if you
won’t sit quietly then ….. We’ll talk later.

64. Letter to parents
positive

65. Letter to Parents
Negative

66. Conversation with C behaviour children
Six steps.
1. Welcome the student as an adult (not a child)
2. Validate the student but challenge the inappropriate
behaviour
3. Challenge any irrational thinking behind the behaviour
4. Ensure that the students acknowledges that the
behaviour is a ‘problem’ (in an adult voice)
5. Have student decide how (S)he intends to handle a
similar situation ‘next’ time
6. Set a period for review

67. Reflection
Form

68. • Reflection and Commitment Process (McCleod Secondary College)
• Name: _________________ Date: ____________ Pd/Time: _________
Teacher: _______________ Subject:_____________________
• TO THE STUDENT:
• You have been asked to take some time to reflect on your behaviour in the
class. This process aims to achieve a WIN/WIN/ WIN scenario. A WIN for
you, the teacher and the learning environment of the class. Please be as
honest as you can in answering these questions that the teacher will then
discuss with you
• Inappropriate Behaviour YES/NO (
If Yes, WHY)
• 1. I distracted others from their work
• 2 .I ignored the instruction given by the teacher
• 3. I was disrespectful to the teacher
• 4. I made other people feel unsafe
• 5. I wouldn’t do any work
• 6. I did not obey the teachers instruction
• 7. OTHER ( your own response)
•

69. D behaviour children
Competence Usefulness
Student
Self-Esteem
Belonging

70. How to respond to “difficult”
Students Pedagogically
• Fight your first impulse (try to understand that the student
is hurting inside).
• Encourage the student at every opportunity.
• Separate the deed from the doer. Express a liking for the
student while still applying logical consequences.
• Show an awareness of some skill the student believes he or
she is good at. If possible, set up a situation where you can
observe the child being competent.
• Have the child help you in a meaningful way.
• Show some interest in something that interests the child.
• Modify the child’s curriculum (Usually more Kinesthetic –
Visual - Rhythmic instruction)

71. How to respond to “difficult” students
• Collect enough data to be confident of student’s mistaken
goal
• Make the student aware of his/her “mistaken” goals
• Confront the student with the need to choose between
his/her primary and mistaken goal
• Inform the child (privately), during class, of the mistaken
goal as he or she misbehaves