FD SUPPORTING
TEACHING AND LEARNING
BEHAVIOUR - THEORY
Teaching Assistants Handbook,
Burnham and Jones, 2004)
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When looking at behaviour which is acceptable,
adults should be aware that we all have different
ideas and expectations. We should recognise that
our ideas about what is acceptable or
unacceptable will come from our own experiences
and cultures. Children may therefore enter schools
and nurseries with a variety of accepted ‘normal’
behaviour”.
Theories about behaviour 1
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Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura)
Developed in the late 1960s. He suggested that
children will learn behaviours by copying the
behaviour of those around them – adults and later
their peers.
Thus it is important that children have good role
models for behaviour so that they can learn
appropriate behaviour themselves.
What does this mean for the teacher/teaching
assistant? Give some personal examples.
Theories about behaviour 2
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Behaviourist Theory (Skinner)
Developed in the 1940s.
He suggests that children will respond to praise and
so will repeat behaviour which gives them
recognition or praise for what they do.
What does this means for the teacher/ teaching
assistant?
Give some personal examples.
Theories about behaviour 3
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Self-fulfilling prophecy theory – this suggests that
children will be influenced by the way in which adults
think about them.
When a child is thought of as ‘good’ their opinion will
encourage and influence the behaviour of that child. If
a child is thought of as ‘naughty’, the child will live up to
this expectation.
What does this means for the teacher/teaching
assistant? Give some personal examples.
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE BEHAVIOUR
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Schools need to develop a series of agreed
strategies to use both for managing unwanted
behaviour and rewarding positive behaviour.
Where children are showing inappropriate
behaviour it is important for staff to know when to
intervene especially where children are a danger to
themselves or others.
National Guidelines and Policies
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On a national level training for behaviour management outlines some core principles to help
those who are working with children. These include –
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Plan for good behaviour
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Work within the 4 Rs (Rules, Routines, Responsibilities and Rights) framework
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Separate the inappropriate behaviour from the child
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Use the language of choice
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Actively build trust and rapport
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Model the behaviour that you want to see
Steer Report
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See next presentation