Briefly Annotated References for Classroom Management

Allen, S. A Study to Determine the Effectiveness of a Positive Approach to Discipline System for Classroom Management. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Los Angeles, CA, April 1981. (ED 203 490).

Investigates the effect of a Positive Approach to Discipline on teacher behavior and student outcomes in twelve seventh grade, ethnically diverse classes. The use of PAD brought about a reduction in administrative referrals and suspensions, but the incidence of corporal punishment remained the same.

Anderson, L. M., and Prawat, R. S. "Responsibility in the Classroom: A Synthesis of Research on Teaching Self-Control." Educational Leadership 40/7 (1983): 62- 66.

Reviews research on the effectiveness of methods for teaching self-control to students and thereby increase time-on-task and classroom order.

Atkeson, B. M., and Forehand, R. "Home-Based Reinforcement Programs Designed to Modify Classroom Behavior: A Review and Methodological Evaluation." Psychological Bulletin 86/6 (1979): 1298-1308.

Reviews 19 studies on the effects of home-based reinforcement programs on the social and academic behavior of students at all age/grade levels. Found these programs to be effective in increasing on-task behavior and reducing the incidence of classroom disruption.

Bowman, R., Jr. "Effective Classroom Management: A Primer for Practicing Professionals." Clearing House 57/3 (1983): 116-118.

Summarizes research on effective classroom management methods. Findings are congruent with those identified by major classroom management researchers.

Brophy, J. "Classroom Management Techniques." Education and Urban Society 18/2 (1986): 182-194.

Summarizes research on classroom management methods and reviews research on interventions for dealing with misbehavior.

Brophy, J. E. "Classroom Organization and Management." The Elementary School Journal 83/4 (1983): 265-285.

Reviews research and discusses findings concerning classroom management strategies found to be effective in reducing misbehavior and promoting time-on-task. Discusses both preventive and intervention strategies.

Center on Evaluation, Development and Research.htmlPhi Delta Kappa. Effective Classroom Management. 1984-85 Hot Topic Series. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa, 1985.

Presents a compilation of articles on classroom management, featuring sections on research and practical applications of research.


Cotton, K. Instructional Reinforcement. Close-Up No. 3. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1988.

Reviews 37 studies and analyses of the effects of different kinds of instructional reinforcement (e.g., praise, tokens, privileges, etc.) on student achievement and behavior.

Cotton, K., and Savard, W. G. Student Discipline and Motivation: Research Synthesis. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1982. (ED 224 170)

Reviews 26 studies and summaries on the effects of classroom and schoolwide practices undertaken to reduce discipline problems and increase student motivation.

Doyle, W. "Classroom Management Techniques." In Strategies to Reduce Student Misbehavior, edited by Oliver C. Moles. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1989, 11-31. (ED 311 608)

Reviews research on effective classroom management techniques and strategies for dealing with serious or chronic misconduct. Identifies clear and consistently applied rules and close monitoring of classroom activities as critical classroom management functions.

Duke, D. L. "School Organization, Leadership, and Student Behavior." In Strategies to Reduce Student Misbehavior, edited by Oliver C. Moles. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1989, 31-62. (ED 311 608)

Reviews research on the school organizational factors related to well-disciplined school environments and discusses the kinds of leadership functions needed to establish environments conducive to good school discipline.

Emmer, E. T., and Aussiker, A. "School and Classroom Discipline Programs: How Well Do They Work?" In Strategies to Reduce Student Misbehavior, edited by Oliver C. Moles. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1989, 105-142. (ED 311 608)

Reviews research on the effects of Teacher Effectiveness Training, Reality Therapy, Assertive Discipline, and Adlerian approaches on school and classroom discipline. Identified positive effects on teacher perceptions and some effects on teacher behavior, but few effects on student behavior or attitudes.

Emmer, E. T., and Evertson, C. M. "Synthesis of Research on Classroom Management." Educational Leadership 38/4 (1981): 342-347.

Summarizes research studies on the relationship between teachers' classroom management behaviors and student behavioral outcomes. Identifies teachers' beginning-of-the-year behaviors as particularly important in establishing and maintaining classroom order.

Emmer, E. T.; Sanford, J. P.; Clements, B. S.; and Martin, J. Improving Junior High Classroom Management. Austin, TX: Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, 1983. (ED 261 053)

Examines the effects of a training program in classroom management skills on teachers with fewer than two years of experience. Experimental teachers showed a greater command of target skills than controls, and their students were more on task and less disruptive.

Evertson, C. M. "Training Teachers in Classroom Management: An Experimental Study in Secondary School Classrooms." Journal of Educational Research 79/1 (1985): 51-58.

Undertakes to validate principles of classroom organization and management, determine if school district personnel could successfully implement classroom management workshops, and assess whether classroom management training could increase the skills of secondary teachers who had already received instructional skills training.

Fitzpatrick, K. A., and McGreal, T. L. "The Effect of Training in Classroom Management on Academic Engaged Time in Secondary Classrooms." Illinois School Research and Development 20/1 (1983): 20-32.

Reports the results of a study of the effects of training high school teachers in classroom management skills. Training content was congruent with general research on classroom management. Experimental teachers practiced effective behaviors more, and their students engaged in more on-task behavior and less disruption.

Gettinger, M. "Methods of Proactive Classroom Management." School Psychology Review 17/2 (1988): 227-242.

Reviews research on the effects of proactive classroom management techniques--methods which focus on prevention rather than remediation of student misbehavior.

Gottfredson, D. C. "Developing Effective Organizations to Reduce School Disorder." In Strategies to Reduce Student Misbehavior, edited by Oliver C. Moles. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1989, 87-104. (ED 311 698)

Cites research findings on the correlates of school disorder, reports the results of an organizational improvement study in two urban junior high schools, and presents results of three projects intended to reduce the disruptions and delinquent behavior perpetrated by at-risk youth.

Gottfredson, D. C. "An Empirical Test of School-Based Environmental and Individual Interventions to Reduce the Risk of Delinquent Behavior." Criminology 24/4 (1986): 705-731.

Reports the results of a project intended to improve school discipline and reduce the dropout rate in four low-income middle and high schools. Improvements were noted among the general school populations and specific targeted, high-risk students.

Gottfredson, D. C. "An Evaluation of an Organization Development Approach to Reducing School Disorder." Evaluation Review 11/6 (1987): 739-763.

Describes a study in which an urban junior high school made use of various organization development activities, including schoolwide use of Assertive Discipline and Reality Therapy, and experienced significantly greater improvements in school discipline than a demographically similar control school.

Gottfredson, D. G.; Karweit, N. L.; and Gottfredson, G. D. Reducing Disorderly Behavior in Middle Schools. Baltimore, MD: Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools, Johns Hopkins University, April 1989.

Describes the results of an organization development approach to reducing disorder in six urban middle schools. High-implementation schools evidenced significant improvements, while low-implementation and control schools did not.

Gottfredson, G. D., and Gottfredson, D. C. Victimization in Schools. New York: Plenum Press, 1985.

Uses survey data from the National Institute of Education's Safe School Study to determine school factors which are related to the victimization of school personnel and students in junior and senior high school settings.

Greenwood, C. R.; Carta, J. J.; and Hall, R. V. "The Use of Peer Tutoring Strategies in Classroom Management and Educational Instruction." School Psychology Review 17/2 (1988): 258-275.

Identifies various peer tutoring strategies, provides detail on their elements, cites research on their effectiveness in promoting student learning and behavior, and notes limitations in the current research base and areas of need for future research.

Hyman, I. A., and Lally, D. "A Study of Staff Development Programs for Improving School Discipline." The Urban Review 14/3 (1982): 181-196.

Reviews research on the efficacy of various approaches to improve school climate and discipline (Adlerian, behavior modification, human relations training, reality therapy, etc.) and examines studies to identify commonalities across the different approaches.

Kounin, J. S. Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1970.

Presents the results of studies from the kindergarten to university levels, focusing particularly on findings from an observational study of 80 elementary classrooms to identify strategies and processes used in effectively and ineffectively managed classes.

Lasley, T. J., and Wayson, W. W. "Characteristics of Schools with Good Discipline." Educational Leadership 40/3 (1982): 28-31.

Reviews the work of the Phi Delta Kappa Commission on Discipline and other sources to identify the elements which correlate with good school discipline. Broadbased problem solving, providing opportunities for success, and strong leadership are among the elements commonly found in well-disciplined schools.

Leach, D. J., and Byrne, M. K. "Some ‘Spill-over' Effects of a Home-based Reinforcement Programme in a Secondary School." Educational Psychology 6/3 (1986): 265-276.

Investigates the effects of a home-based reinforcement program on the classroom behavior of disruptive adolescents and their peers. Target students were more on task and less disruptive after the intervention; some classmates were positively affected and some were not.

Lovegrove, M.; Lewis, R.; Fall, C.; and Lovegrove, H. Students' Preferences for Discipline Practices in Schools. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Comparative and International Education Society, Hamilton, New Zealand, August 1983. (ED 265 257)

Reviews research on student attitudes toward various classroom disciplinary practices. Ninth graders in Australia, the United States, and Norway participated and generally had the same preferences regarding teachers' disciplinary practices.

Luke, M. D. "Research on Class Management and Organization: Review with Implications for Current Practice." Quest 41 (1989): 55-67.

Reviews research on class management and organization as it applied to physical education. Findings are similar to those obtained in other classroom management reviews.

McCormack, S. Assertive Discipline: What Do We Really Know? San Diego, CA: San Diego County Office of Education, 1987. (ED 286 618).

Reviews eleven research studies on the effects of the Assertive Discipline program on teachers and students. Identified positive relationships between the program and (1) off-task behavior, (2) incidence of referrals, (3) student self-concept.

McNamara, E.; Harrop, A.; and Owen, F. "The Effect of Group Orientated Classroom Management Procedures on Individual Pupils." Educational Psychology 7/3 (1987): 157-168.

Examines the effect of teacher training in classroom management techniques on the behavior of adolescent students. After the intervention, positive teacher comments and actions increased, negative ones decreased, and student task behavior improved.

Miller, D. "Effect of a Program of Therapeutic Discipline on the Attitude, Attendance, and Insight of Truant Adolescents." Journal of Experimental Education 55/1 (1986): 49-53.

Reports the results of a study in which a therapeutic discipline program was compared with traditional, nontherapeutic discipline in terms of their effects on secondary students experiencing in-school suspension for truancy. Treatment students had better attendance and greater insight, but controls had better attitudes toward school attendance.

Ornstein, A. C., and Levine, D. U. "Teacher Behavior Research: Overview and Outlook." Phi Delta Kappan 62/8 (1981): 592-596.

Reviews research on theories and practices associated with effective teaching. Includes a section on the kinds of classroom management practices shown to be associated with orderly, on-task classroom environments.

Pestello, F. G. "Misbehavior in High School Classrooms." Youth and Society 20/3 (1989): 290-306.

Examines the relationship among student perceptions of different punishments, their perceptions of classroom climate, teachers' perceptions of punishment, and student demographic characteristics. Students and teachers in fourteen American History classes participated.

Sanford, J. P., and Evertson, C. M. "Classroom Management in a Low SES Junior High: Three Case Studies." Journal of Teacher Education 32/1 (1981): 34-38.

Presents findings from a study of classroom management involving three teachers in a low-SES school setting. Differences were noted between the practices of an effective, a less effective, and an ineffective manager as measured by student social behavior and attitudes.

Sharpley, C. F., and Sharpley, A. M. "Contingent vs. Noncontingent Rewards in the Classroom: A Review of the Literature." Journal of School Psychology 19/3 (1981): 250-259.

Reviews research on the comparative effectiveness of contingent and noncontingent reinforcement on the behavior of students in classroom settings. Contingent reinforcement was found to be considerably more effective.

Short, P. M. "Effectively Disciplined Schools: Three Themes From Research." NASSP Bulletin 72/504 (1988): 1-3.

Summarizes findings from research on schoolwide practices which lead to safe and orderly school environments. Schoolwide involvement in establishing good discipline, positive school climate, and principal leadership are the three "themes" identified.

Slee, R. "Integration: The Disruptive Student and Suspension." The Urban Review 18/2 (1986): 87-103.

Reviews British, Australian, New Zealand, and American research on the use of in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and suspension to off-site centers. Finds these approaches ineffective and calls for organizational improvements in schools so that disruptive students might be retained.

Smedley, S. R., and Willower, D. J. "Principals' Pupil Control Behavior and School Robustness." Educational Administration Quarterly 17/4 (1981): 40-56.

Investigates the relationship between students' perceptions of the methods principals use to control student behavior and their perceptions of school robustness. Perceptions of humanistic approaches on the part of principals were associated with greater robustness.

Stallings, J. A., and Mohlman, G. C. School Policy, Leadership Style, Teacher Changes, and Student Behavior in Eight Schools. Mountain View, CA: Stallings Teaching and Learning Institute, 1981. (ED 209 759)

Reviews research on the school and classroom correlates of effective discipline and presents findings from a study of eight schools to determine (1) the correlates of school order and (2) the effects of a teacher training program.

Strother, D. B. "Practical Applications of Research." Phi Delta Kappan 66/10 (1985): 725-728.

Reviews research on classroom management techniques and offers research-based guidelines for teachers to use to increase their classroom management skills.

Wayson, W. W.; DeVoss, G. G.; Kaeser, S. C.; Lasley, T.; Pinnell, G. S.; and the Phi Delta Kappa Commission on Discipline. Handbook for Developing Schools with Good Discipline. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa, 1982.

Identifies findings from research on well-disciplined schools and offers suggestions for improving school discipline, including sample goals, activities, assessment techniques, and possible first steps.

Wayson, W. W., and Lasley, T. J. "Climates for Excellence: Schools That Foster Self-Discipline." Phi Delta Kappan 65/6 (1984): 419-421.

Presents findings from a study conducted by the PDK Commission on Discipline. Identifies five characteristics present in schools with welldisciplined students: belongingness/responsibility, shared goals, symbols of identity and excellence, leadership to sustain positive values, and clear formal and informal rules.

Weber, W. A.; Crawford, J.; Roff, L. A.; and Robinson, C. Classroom Management: Reviews of the Teacher Education and Research Literature. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 1983.

Reviews research on classroom management and identifies findings regarding maximizing time-on-task and on preventing and remediating classroom disruptions.

Workman, E. A., and Williams, R. L. "Effects of Extrinsic Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation in the Classroom." Journal of School Psychology 18/2 (1980): 141-147.

Reviews research on the effects of extrinsic rewards- -particularly the combination of praise and tokens--on the intrinsic motivation of regular and special education students. Found that extrinsic rewards do not undermine intrinsic motivation and, in some cases, enhance it.