Middle school discipline: An identification of disciplinary techniques used for specific discipline problems by middle school classroom teachers

Educational literature relates that discipline in schools is a problem. The purpose of this study was to identify disciplinary techniques used for specific discipline problems by middle school classroom teachers within the Metropolitan-Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee. A questionnaire was distributed to 571 middle school classroom teachers listing seventeen discipline problems. The respondents were to choose the disciplinary technique they would use for each specific discipline problem. The questionnaire also asked respondents to identify what preventive disciplinary techniques they use in their school. Data obtained from the respondents were collapsed into five discipline problem groups and six disciplinary technique groups. The variables used in the study were sex, race, subject area taught, grade level taught, years teaching experience, and level of education. Chi Square was used to determine if there was a significant difference at the.05 level of disciplinary technique used for specific discipline problem by the above mentioned variables. Results of the study indicated that there were differences between the disciplinary techniques used for specific discipline problems with the variables sex, race, and grade level taught. No differences or differences considered not significant at the.05 level were found to exist with the variables level of education, years teaching experience, and subject area taught. Females used verbal interaction to control misbehavior compared to males using corporal punishment for the same misbehavior. Blacks and whites related no difference except as to disciplinary technique used for immoral behavior problems. Blacks used verbal interaction for specific discipline problems of lying, cheating, and stealing, compared to whites using corporal punishment for the same immoral behavior. Fifth and sixth grade teachers used verbal interaction for discipline problems compared to seventh and eighth grade teachers using corporal punishment more often for the same misbehavior. Less experienced teachers were more apt to use corporal punishment compared to the more experienced teachers more often using verbal interaction for the same discipline problems