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Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Chapter 1
Behavior and Classroom Management Basics
Teachers need to consider many aspects of behavior and classroom management when they are
developing and implementing classroom management plans. In addition to rules, consequences,
and rewards, teachers need to understand developmental theories, to understand the basics of
behavior management, and consider the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Teachers need to examine their own perceptions and assumptions that might affect their
development of effective behavior management programs.
Foundations of Behavior Management
• Behavior and classroom management has always been a concern of teachers,
administrators, and other educational professionals.
• Behavior and classroom management is no longer a simple matter of establishing five
rules, five consequences, and five rewards.
Developmental Theories of Behavior
• Understanding the development of children and adolescents affects the interpretation of
childhood and how children are treated.
• Developmental theories provide the basis for practical applications that can improve the
behavior of students.
Classical Conditioning
o Ivan Pavlov repeatedly paired the sound of a bell with food for the dogs. After a
period of time, the dogs began to associate the sound of the bell (a neutral stimulus)
with food (an unconditioned stimulus) and began salivating (an unconditioned
response) even when there was no food present.
Operant Conditioning
o Operant conditioning is a method of learning in which the probability that an
individual’s behavior will increase or decrease is manipulated through the use of
reinforcements that are pleasurable or not pleasurable.
Social Cognitive Theory
o Social cognitive theory states that an individual can gain knowledge by observing
others.
o Albert Bandura believed that most human behavior is learned through the observation
of the behavior of others.
o Observational learning occurs when an individual observes the behavior of another
o Ecological systems theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding how a
child’s development and behaviors are influenced by the complex interactions of
environmental factors.
o Urie Bronfenbrenner developed an ecological systems theory for understanding
children’s interactions with their environments.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Sociocultural Theory
o Culture and moral development are two factors that affect the behavior of children.
Moral Development
o Moral development involves a system of beliefs, values, and fundamental judgments
about the rightness or wrongness of human acts and how these relate to societal
expectations.
o According to Jean Piaget, moral development takes place in two stages:
heteronomous morality and autonomous morality. During the heteronomous morality
stage, children regard rules as having been handed down by authority and view them
as unchangeable. During the autonomous morality stage, adolescents realize that rules
are not absolute and can be revised based on circumstances and the requirements of
fair reciprocity, or treating others as they want to be treated.
Understanding Behavior Management
• When developing behavior and classroom management plans, teachers must take into
account a number of considerations, including the management of content, conduct, and
covenant.
• One of the most important aspects of content management is a rigorous and relevant
curriculum.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
• A universal design for classroom management considers the needs of students with
disabilities, ethnically and linguistically diverse students, struggling learners, and
Postulations of Behavior
o Most teachers and other education professionals believe that behaviorist theories are
the most appropriate theories on which to base the development of classroom
management plans; however, behavior and classroom management is a complex
construction and goes beyond the five rules–five consequences/reinforcement
approach.
Assumptions of Behavior Management
o All behavior is reinforced in some manner.
o Intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcements are correlated to students’ levels of self-
efficacy.
Misconstructions of Behavior Management
o Teachers can develop classroom and behavior management strategies that serve as
guidelines for students and provide for positive learning environments, but they
cannot control their students’ behaviors.
Cultural Influence on Behavior
• With the increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse children entering
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Enculturation and Acculturation
o Enculturation is the process through which the child acquires and maintains the
cultural norms and values of her family, or the culture of her heritage.
o Acculturation is the process through which the child adapts to and adopts the values,
Culturally Responsive Classroom Management
• To be culturally responsive in their behavior and classroom management, teachers must
adhere to the following five principles:
2. Gain knowledge of their students’ cultures
4. Use culturally appropriate management strategies
5. Develop caring classroom communities
Awareness of Ethnocentrism
o Ethnocentrism is generally defined as the evaluation of the cultures of other groups
from the perspective of one’s own cultural experiences, but this description is too
simple for such a multifaceted concept.
o Many European American teachers are unaware of their own cultural identity and
how their culture affects others.
Knowledge of Students’ Cultures
o In using culturally responsive practices in behavior and classroom management,
teachers also need to understand the cultural backgrounds of their students.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
collectivist culture, the individual’s sense of self is understood in relationship to
others within the community.
Awareness of the Broader Context
o European American culture also contributes to the perpetuation of discriminatory
practices toward diverse students. Instead of examining how their own cultural
beliefs affect the way they view students, teachers attribute students’
inappropriate behaviors and academic failures to the students, the students’
Use of Culturally Appropriate Management Strategies
o Teachers need to reflect on their own ethnocentrism, how their cultural biases affect
how they respond to diverse students, and how institutional cultures may create
barriers for diverse students.
Development of Caring Communities
o Caring about students is one of the prevalent characteristics of highly effective
teachers. These teachers are described as warm, friendly, and caring.
Goals of Behavior and Classroom Management
• The systems-based approach and the principle-centered approach are two basic strategies
of behavior and classroom management.
• In the systems-based approach, teachers and schools have a set of prescribed rules and
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
• Based on the principles of developmental theories, culturally responsive classroom
management, and systems-based and principle-centered approaches, three basic goals of
behavior and classroom management emerge:
1. Provide a safe and positive environment that recognizes and respects diversity and in
which students are treated equitably and learning can take place.
