The benefits of a positive behavioural management strategy, influenced by student voice, on private sector students

Education’s ever-changing landscape has raised queries as to whether the traditional idea of allocating blame and sanctions is the best way to manage behaviours today. Recent evidence suggests that positive behavioural support strategies produce far more sustained positive impacts in student behaviour when compared with the short-term results of traditional, consequential management systems. The study’s objective was to explore the effectiveness of a systematic, positive behavioural strategy in a private school setting, endeavouring to highlight how certain contextual circumstances make private schools an ideal setting to implement such programs. The study also sought to examine the impact pupil voice can have on behaviour if students are, to some extent, included in decision-making processes that affect them. This study was designed as an action research project, utilizing a mixed method approach. Multiple student and teacher surveys were distributed before and after program implementation, garnering both quantitative and qualitative data. Further quantitative data was also gathered from the lunch time attendance records. Finally, triangulation was then utilized to ensure more valid findings from all data collected. The program was successful in its implementation with the majority of students and teachers commenting on the effectiveness of the activities provided. Students, if behaving appropriately, could earn the right to partake in organized activities chosen by themselves. Those who did not behave could not participate. The construction of those chosen and desired activities provided teachers with a positive consequence which students could hope to achieve, coupled with an effective negative consequence if acting inappropriately. There is substantial evidence to suggest trialling the behaviour program on a wider scale. By implementing a program comprised of extra activities and teachers, this would increase the number of students receiving their first preference activity choice. A further study could then evaluate if motivations to behave increased with the vast majority of students receiving their first preference choices