CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Historical background

During the 1600s-1700s With the introduction of public schools in the United States, classroom management began to emerge as an important aspect of the classroom environment (Skinner, 1880). With his studies of behavior, including operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement, B.F. Skinner (1880), introduced the idea that behavior can be shaped and modified. This led future studies conducted by numerous behavior therapists, (Skinner, 1880). The idea that behavior can be modified ultimately led to a movement in the public school system. Modern and practical forms of classroom management began to emerge as a way to shape and modify behavior in students, (Ardrey, 2013).

In the 1800s Private schools allowed children born into wealthy family’s educational opportunities. During this time period, classroom management was often unnecessary. Corporal punishment was used when needed. However, children attending these private schools were expected to behave in an orderly and respectful manner. These expectations were societal norms ( Ardrey, 2013). In the colonial period, classroom management was not a topic of importance. Overcrowded one-room schoolhouses often prevented the use of practical classroom management techniques, (Ardrey, 2013).

The turn of the 20th Century saw classical conditioning booming. This was largely informed by Pavlov’s Dog, still regarded as one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history. His work drove classic conditioning forward, which suggests that you can associate something neutral (like the sound of a whistle being blown) with a particular stimulus (like feeling hungry) so that you could eventually make someone feel hungry every time they heard a whistle. Although not directly mimicked within the classroom, educators have used it as a basis to assume that if students were given certain punishments in relation to misconduct, they should learn to stop doing that bad behavior, (Yeigh, 2001).

This line of thinking was refined further in 1953, thanks to B.F. Skinner’s model of operant conditioning. He developed the ‘ABC’ (Antecedent, Behaviors, Consequence) model. The idea with this is that an antecedent begins – for example, a teacher starts teaching their lesson. A behaviour then comes into play – in this case, we’ll say a student starts talking and distracting others. Finally, a consequence needs to occur, which, in this example, may be the teacher reprimanding the student and warning them to stop talking, (Tony Yeigh, 2001).

After WWII, there was a movement into humanist models. Behavioural psychology began to focus less on ways in which behaviour could be manipulated and moulded, and more on the value of being seen as an individual (Robert, 1997).

In particular, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) began to change the conversation on how educators should approach fulfilling the needs of their students (and, as a result, effectively manage behaviour). Some highlights from these humanist models included Rupdolph Dreikurs’ ‘respectful classroom’, with the belief that there should be mutual respect between teachers and students. Carl Rogers explored the idea that there’s a person’s real self (their true qualities) and their ideal self (the qualities expected by significant others), and both should be unconditionally accepted. (Yeigh, 2001).

In the 1990s classroom management developed beyond a set of educational techniques to become a complex process in which an environment is constructed in an on-going reciprocal manner. This process included dialogue between teachers and students, reflection on past and present experiences, and looking at how one‘s behaviour affected others in the environment (Schneider, 1996).

Research from Balmer, Brophy and Good in Adeyemo (2012) shows that the time teacher has to correct misbehaviour caused by poor classroom management skills result in a lower rate of academic engagement in the classroom. From the students‘perspective, effective classroom management involves clear communication of behaviour and academic expectations as well as a cooperative learning environment. Apparently, classroom management is closely linked to issues of motivation, reinforcement, reward, discipline and respect (Naong, 2007).

Provision of quality education and training is the ultimate goal of any educational system. The success of teaching is reflected by academic performance of pupils. This goal can never be achieved without classroom management.

How pupils are been managed has been an issue since the inception of public education. In 1770, William Blackstone applied the phrase in loco parentis, which literally means in place of the parents, to educators. In loco parentis gave teachers the ability to act in place of the parent in response to disciplinary actions (Conte, 2000). In loco parentis was implemented in schools in the early 1900s, and with it came corporal punishment.

Victorian era parents believed children who were lazy and insubordinate were alienating themselves from God, and teachers were thought to be the perfect authority figure to ensure alienation did not occur (Parker-Jenkins, 1997). During this time period corporal punishment was viewed as necessary to produce citizens who conformed to the norms of society, beat out sin, and ensure learning occurred (Parker Jenkins, 1997). The book of Proverbs in the Bible advocates the use of a rod, i.e. control techniques, to save children’s souls from death. Therefore, teachers began administering various classroom management techniques for acts of wrong doing by their charges (Conte, 2000).

Recently scholars have written more on indiscipline among pupils and its effects on learning outcome and their progress in schools. Classroom management in school is a very important aspect towards academic excellence, while lack of it usually gives rise to a lot of problems such as lack of vision and mission, poor time management, irregular attendance and punishment. It also plays a vital role in the acquisition of sense of responsibility in learners as well as educators. Gawe, Vakalisa and Jacobs, (2001:190) express cooperative learning if academic performance is to be achieved among students.

Various studies have been conducted on issues pertaining to schools’ academic performance, such as those by Malekela (2000:61), Galabawa (2000:100) and Mosha (2000:4). They have pointed out some factors that lead to varying levels of performance in schools, including availability of teachers, availability of teaching and learning materials and language communication. Omari (1995) talks about classroom management as one among aspects that influence performance in schools. Classroom management is an essential element in any educational institution if the pupils are to benefit from the opportunities offered to them.

Omari (1995:38) argues that it is difficult to maintain order and discipline in schools where teachers have no space to sit, prepare and mark students’ work. In other words, Omari (1995) supports the above scholars that availability of teaching and learning materials has an impact on classroom management in class. Indiscipline in schools, and consequently, school strikes, destroy the teaching- learning environment. Occasionally there are protests, riots and violence and sometimes the police have to come in to intervene to protect school property.

An analyses of the past 50 years of classroom management research identified classroom management as the most important factor, even above students’ aptitude, affecting students’ learning and academic performance (Wang, et al., 2009). Contrary to popular belief held by Pandey (2006), classroom management is not a gift bestowed upon some teachers.

While it is true that some teachers adapt to classroom management easily, making it felt by their colleagues as if they possess some innate talents. Classroom management is a skill that can be acquired like any other profession. It is a skill that must be practiced to achieve proficiency. Classroom management thus requires specific skills such as planning organizing, as well as an aptitude for team work. It requires a great deal of commitment, initiatives, teachers’ willingness to adjust, creative thinking and actions (Abel, 2011).

Conceptual background

According to Umoren (2010), the concept of classroom management is broader than the notion of student control and discipline, it includes all the things teachers must do in the classroom to foster students’ academic involvement and cooperation in classroom activities to create conducive learning environment.

Morse (2012), relates that classroom management involves curtailing learner’s disruptive behaviors such as fighting and noise making, close observation, arrangement of classroom learning materials, and response to students who suffer from poor sight (vision), poor hea3etb ring, poor reading, poor writing, poor spelling, shame, dullness, hyperactivity and poor study habits.

When classroom management is viewed in a more wider and holistic sense, incorporating every element of the classroom from lesson delivery to classroom environment becomes important (Nicholas, 2007).

According to Nicholas (2007), this includes creating organized and orderly classroom, establishing expectations, inducing students’ cooperation in learning tasks, and dealing with the procedural demands of the classroom. This view of classroom management contrasts to a more narrow view of classroom management as it deals with just discipline and control. According to Bassey (2012), the wider view of classroom management shows increased engagement, reduction in inappropriate and disruptive behaviors, promotion of student responsibility for academic work, and improved academic performance of students.

In effect, discipline, control and the consequences become authoritative or punitive approaches to classroom management. These have become much smaller part of the term classroom management. Thus, classroom management denotes much more than any of these words (Charlie, 2006). As put by Williams (2008), classroom management involves how the teacher works, how the class works, how the teacher and students work together and how teaching and learning takes place.

An analyses of the past 50 years of classroom management research identified classroom management as the most important factor, even above students’ aptitude, affecting students’ learning and academic performance (Wang, et al., 2009). Contrary to popular belief held by Pandey (2006), classroom management is not a gift bestowed upon some teachers.

While it is true that some teachers adapt to classroom management easily, making it felt by their colleagues as if they posses some innate talents. Classroom management is a skill that can be acquired like any other profession. It is a skill that must be practiced to achieve proficiency. Classroom management thus requires specific skills such as planning organizing, as well as an aptitude for team work. It requires a great deal of commitment, initiatives, teachers’ willingness to adjust, creative thinking and actions (Abel, 2011).

Poorly managed classrooms are usually characterized by disruptive behaviors such as sleeping, late coming, noise making, miscopying of notes, eating, calling of nicknames, verbal or physical threat to fellow students or the teacher (Ekere, 2006). These disruptive behaviors disorganize learning processes and hamper academic performance of students.

Effiong (2007), suggests that teachers can deal with these disruptive behaviors in the classroom and reduce them to the minimum through effective classroom management so that effective learning can take place. Once teachers are able to effectively reduce or eliminate disruptive behaviors in the classroom, there would be increased academic attentiveness and engagement which would pave way for better academic performance by students.

The use of verbal instruction is one of the techniques for effective classroom management that can be adopted by teachers. According to Good (2004), clear instruction on what should be done gives the students concrete direction to compliance. In this approach, teachers try to be consistent in enforcing the verbal instruction so that it produces the desired results.

Furthermore, Classroom management is the process of organizing and conducting the business of the Classroom, many perceive it as the preservation of order through teacher control.

Classroom management is much more than that; it also involves the establishment and maintenance of the Classroom environment so that educational goals can be accomplished (Savage and Savage 2010)

Effective Classroom managers create orderly, safe environments where students feel valued and comfortable. Thus, setting the stage for teaching and learning, to achieve Classroom space to support a variety of independence, small and large group activities (Crane, 2011). Secondary school teachers also designate a large area of floor space where students can gather for read aloud, demonstrations and Class meeting. Hence, in all Classrooms, there should be no “blind” area in the room where students can be out of view. To structure “traffic flow” and minimize disruption, teachers separate high- traffic area such as group work areas, learning centers, student’s desk and teacher’s desk.

Supporting this view, Adeqinka (2012) stressed that effective Classroom managers provide a structured, caring environment that meets student’s personal and academic needs. Such teachers are perceived as authority figures in the Classroom. They share high behavioural expectation, designing implement development appropriate lessons, and establish and enforce behavioral guidelines, because effective teachers respect students as an individual with rights values and feelings, they carefully choose their words and actions to protect students dignity. They actively engage students in meaningful, challenging educational experiences and provide plentiful positive feedback. In short, they set their students and themselves up for success.

Statement of the Problem

Un‐conducive learning environment in some primary schools has posed serious problems to pupils’ academic performance over many decades ago. This trend has been on the increase on daily basis. Its prevalence has attracted the concern of the teachers, parents, the guidance counselors and many researchers. Effective classroom management has been discussed extensively at educational seminars and workshops, with efforts aimed at bringing lasting solution to the problem of students’ poor academic performance encountered in secondary schools.

In most cases, classroom teachers become tired of using verbal instruction in attempts to establish effective classroom management, but this method alone does not produce desired results. Many teachers use corporal punishment to instill fear and discipline in the classroom yet there are prevalence of disruptive behaviors in the classroom.

A lot of teachers waste time and energy in intensive classroom supervision so that the classroom climate could be conducive for lessons. Some classroom teachers delegates authority to deserving prefects such as time – keeper, noise prefects, class prefects, etc. to share in the responsibility of ensuring a conducive learning atmosphere in the classroom. These methods are adopted by teachers to enable the classroom become conducive enough for effective teaching – learning process and to facilitate higher academic performance of the students.

Researchers such as Udo (2002) have investigated on effective classroom management in other geographical locations around Africa. Thus It is necessary to examine classroom management techniques and its effects on secondary school students’ academic performance Geography in the Buea municipality.

Objectives of the study

General objectives

The general objective of the study is to examine of classroom management techniques on the academic performance of secondary school students in geography in the Buea municipality.

 Specific Research Objectives

The specific research objectives include the following

1. To examine the effect of the use of praise on secondary school students academic performance in geography in the Buea municipality.
2. To examine the effect of the use of non-verbal communication on secondary school students’ academic performance in geography in the Buea municipality.
3. To examine the effect of the use of reward on secondary school students’ academic performance in geography in the Buea municipality.

Check Out: Curriculum Studies Project Topics with Materials