Reality Therapy Applied To The Elementary Music Classroom (Discipline, Time-Out).

The purpose of this research was to compare the effects of reality therapy in the elementary music classroom to the effects of two other disciplinary systems: removal from the class activity, and the assignment of extra work. Specifically, the effects of the three systems on student perceptions of classroom behavior and student attitude were compared. The amount of perceived disorderly behavior typical of each class was measured by the My Class Inventory. Student attitude toward music class was measured by a semantic differential adapted by the researcher: the Music Class Attitude Scale. Forty-eight general music classes were randomly assigned one of the three discipline systems, which were in effect throughout the 1984-1985 school year. Individual students were given two warnings for misbehavior before the different consequences were invoked. Treatment A involved removing the child from the class activity until he had regained proper control over his behavior. With Treatment B students were assigned extra work when they misbehaved. Treatment C, following the principles of reality therapy, consisted of students acknowledging their inappropriate behavior and making a written plan for acceptable behavior. At the end of the school year, the My Class Inventory and the Music Class Attitude Scale were administered to members of the subject pool. In addition, a number of variables which have been found in previous studies to be related to classroom behavior were recorded. These variables include measures of academic performance, socioeconomic level, number of special education services received, grade level, and gender. No significant differences were found between classes in either levels of perceived disorderly behavior or student attitudes toward music class which could be attributed to the three discipline systems. Students at lower grade levels were found to have lower levels of perceived disorderly behavior, and more positive attitudes toward music class. Classes with higher levels of perceived disorderly behavior had lower attitude ratings, higher percentages of students from lower income families, and higher numbers of students receiving special education services. Classes with higher attitude ratings had lower percentages of students from lower income families, and higher student grade-point averages