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Positive Discipline - An IrishEducational Appraisal and Practical

Guide

by

Joe O’HaraStephen J. ByrneGerry McNamara

With a foreword by Dr. Michael Woods, T.D.Minister For Education and Science

The Greendale ProjectSponsored by The Department of Education and

Science

School of Education Studies Dublin City University /

Department of Education and Science

i

First published 2000

by The Greendale Project and the Department of Education and Science /School of Education Studies, DCU

www.positivelearningprogramme.com

Copyright © Joe O’Hara, Stephen Byrne and Gerry McNamara

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 187232729 X

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by an means, including photocopying andrecording, without written permission of the publisher. Such written permissionmust also be obtained before any part of this publication is stored in a retrievalsystem of any nature. Requests for permission should be directed to theSchool of Education Studies, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9,Ireland.

The publishers and authors gratefully acknowledge the support of theDepartment of Education and Science in the preparation of this publication.

Printed in the Republic of Ireland by Colour Books Ltd.

http://www.positivelearningprogramme.com/

ii

AcknowledgementsThis project was possible only with the contribution of many people. Wesincerely thank each individual for their generosity, which enriched theprocess and permitted the successful completion of the project.

Contributors to the research project listed in chronologicalorder

Research project co-ordinators

Dr. G. McNamaraDr. P. McKennaDublin City UniversityGlasnevinDublin 9

Mr. A. Carroll (Principal)Greendale Community SchoolDublin 5

Greendale Community School working group

Mr. A. Carroll (Principal)Ms. M. Fitzmaurice (Chairperson)Ms. E. BrennanMr. L. DoyleMr. C. MolloyMs. C. Mulcahy (Staff Rapporteur)Ms. F. WalshMs. N. O’DwyerMr. S. Byrne

Advisory group (School of Education Studies, Dublin City University)

Dr. G. McNamaraDr. P. McKennaMr. J. O’Hara (Evaluator)

Project sponsors

Department of Education and Science

iii

The staff of Greendale Community SchoolAnton Carroll (P) Catherine Dunne Carmel SchmidtSiobhan Aylward Mary Fields Sam ShielsMaureen Breaden Jim Fitzmaurice Fionnuala WalshEileen Brennan Freeman Marian Fitzmaurice Mary BolgerCatherine Buckley Tom Potts Timothy KehoeMargaret Byrne Christy Flood Deirdre JohnsonStephen J. Byrne Dolores Gibbons Lorraine TeevanJohn Callanan S.J. Heather Gibson Carol CondonCaitlin Carr Maire Glackin Frances SweeneyMargaret Clancy Cormac Greene Anne McLeanRonan Cotter Pamela Holmes Charlie MolloyPaddy Cronin Marita Kerin Mary MorganMaura Cullen John Lahiff Carmel MulcahyMichael Daly Antoinette Lawlor Eileen O’Connor (DP)Frances Doyle Paul Mercier Niamh O’DwyerLiam Doyle Paul McGahon Sile O’Sullivan

The executive of the Parents AssociationMr. T. Timmins Ms. M. Venard Ms. A. MasseyMs. B. Martin Ms. A. Fogarty Ms. P. McDonaldMs. A. Moffatt Ms. K. Murray Ms. R. NolanMs. G. Walsh Ms. R. Donnelly Ms. M. Kelly

The students and parents of Greendale Community School

In addition the authors would like to acknowledge the help and supportof the following individuals:

Steve M. Byrne for computer layout, website development and generaltechnical support.

Deirdre Triggs for document layout, proof reading and continued help andadvice on DTP issues.

Linda McNamara for proof reading and structural suggestions.

iv

Action research projects

A great deal of the development work which has fed into the completion of theGreendale Project and into this handbook was carried out in the form ofsubstantial Action Research projects and a dissertation undertaken by Greendalestaff members as part of the MSc in Education and Training Management atDublin City University.

These were

Byrne, S.J. (1997) A Positive Learning Programme Unpublished Action ResearchReport, Dublin City University.

Fitzmaurice, M. (1997) Teaching As Learning Unpublished Action ResearchReport, Dublin City University.

Mulcahy, C. (1997) The Theatre of Daylight Unpublished Action ResearchReport, Dublin City University.

Byrne, S.J. (1998) A Positive Learning Programme Unpublished MScDissertation, Dublin City University.

Evaluation report

O’Hara, J. (1997) Towards a Positive School Unpublished MSc Dissertation,Dublin City University.

vi

ForewordDR. MICHAEL WOODS T.D. MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

viii

Table of contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II

FOREWORD VIDR. MICHAEL WOODS T.D. MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER ONE – DEFINING POSITIVE DISCIPLINE 3

1. SUMMARY 32. DISCUSSION 7

CHAPTER TWO – OPTING FOR POSITIVE DISCIPLINE 23


CHAPTER THREE – THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURAM:A WHOLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 35


CHAPTER FOUR – THE POSITIVE LEARNING PROGRAMME 57


CHAPTER FIVE – EVALUATION: REACTIONS AND ISSUES 99

CHAPTER SIX – CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 107

BIBLIOGRAPHY 111

Positive Discipline - An Irish Educational Appraisal and Practical Guide

1

INTRODUCTION

The background to the Greendale Project

The positive discipline programme described and analysed in this handbookhad its origins in a collaborative research project between GreendaleCommunity School and the School of Education Studies, Dublin CityUniversity, with financial assistance provided by the Department of Educationand Science. Greendale Community School is a well-established post-primaryschool located on the North side of Dublin. By the early 1990s, the schoolPrincipal, Anton Carroll, had as a result of his own researches noted that theextensive social and economic change in the school’s catchment area hadbegun to alter the profile of students enrolling in the school. In response tothis, there began a process of organisational exploration and evaluation,during the early stages of which indiscipline was identified as an area ofconcern for the wider school community. The problem was identified asconsisting primarily of a series of minor discipline infringements. A widespreadalteration in discipline patterns, seen by many as being a key aspect of theschool’s culture, seemed to augur badly for the continuance of the open andfriendly climate which many teachers and pupils saw as being at the core ofthe school.

A working party was established to tackle the development andimplementation of a plan involving all staff in a complete review of the school’sapproach to discipline. This group began to analyse the academic literatureon school planning and on discipline and sought support from the School ofEducation Studies, Dublin City University. An action plan was prepared andfunding to support the project was obtained from the Department of Educationand Science. Two key elements were central to the process from thebeginning – the first that any innovations in the area of discipline would takeplace within the context of the school’s strong tradition of pastoral care andthe second that the project would proceed through whole school planninginvolving the entire staff, students and parents in consultation andcollaboration.

Tentatively the staff planning group identified positive discipline as aphilosophy and a practice which could facilitate the adoption of an effectiveresponse to the problems identified. An important stage in the development ofthe project was input from the noted UK specialist, Adrian Smith, in the formof a staff in-service day. This influenced the staff, but also convinced it that anapproach appropriate to the Irish context needed to be developed. Theworking group proceeded to examine approaches to discipline within theschool and to develop a programme which would initially be used inGreendale, but also with a view to wider application. During the course of theproject, staff and pupils were consulted intensively and collaboratively. There


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was also significant input from the Parents Association. The School ofEducation Studies from Dublin City University (DCU) conducted an in-depthevaluation of the project. The result of the evaluation is this handbook.

The structure of the handbook

The handbook is divided into six chapters. Each of the first four chapterscomprises, firstly, a summary of the main points - providing a ready referencefor teachers interested in implementing a similar programme in their ownschool - and, secondly, a detailed discussion and analysis for those who wishto examine the issues in more depth. The fifth chapter is an evaluation of theproject. The sixth chapter contains some conclusions and recommendationsdrawn from the study.

The handbook also provides some broad contextual information about theschool and the process of investigation which led to the decision to addressthe issue of discipline. An explanation of the philosophy underlying the type ofdiscipline policy adopted, along with a brief examination of the implications ofthis for the school community, are outlined. The different implementationstages involved provide a roadmap of the process required to introduce a newdiscipline policy at staff level and at student level.

Chapter One explains the theory of positive discipline and places it in thepractical context of current discipline problems in schools. Chapters Two,Three and Four describe the different stages in the establishment of a positivediscipline programme in Greendale Community School with an explanation ofthe wider implications for other Irish post-primary schools: Chapter Two setsout the issues and practicalities involved in beginning the research, setting upa school working group and developing an implementation plan; ChapterThree then carries the programme forward into a whole school context with adescription of the innovative approach to the personal development of thepupil within the context of an evolving school ethos; Chapter Four consists adescription of a single year’s positive discipline programme. Chapter Fivedraws upon the evaluation which was carried out by the School of EducationStudies, Dublin City University, as part of the research process to describeboth staff and pupil reactions to the project and also to clarify some importantissues which arose during the project. Chapter Six closes the handbook with anumber of conclusions and recommendations.

This handbook represents the fruits of three years’ experimentation withapproaches to implementing positive discipline through whole school planningwhich would suit the needs of Greendale Community School. It is hoped thatother Irish post-primary schools will in turn benefit from the dissemination ofthe Greendale Project findings and will begin to develop positive disciplineprogrammes of their own.


3

Chapter One – Defining Positive Discipline

1. Summary

Introduction

This first chapter provides an explanation of what positive discipline is. Itbegins by looking at the reality of discipline in schools, in both an Irish and aninternational context. It then goes on to look at some of the different theoriesthat have emerged to deal with the issue of discipline or perhaps, to be moreexact, with its absence. The chapter concludes with an explanation of theorigins, structure and key points of the theory of positive discipline.

Why write about discipline now?

There is general consensus that it is more difficult to maintain order in schoolsnow than it was previously. Consequently teachers spend more time dealingwith discipline problems. This is evidenced in an Irish context by the high levelof respondents who indicated in Maeve Martin’s Report to the Minister ofEducation (1997) that the problems associated with discipline were of veryreal concern to them. This concern is mirrored internationally in similar studiescarried out by Elton (1989 cited in Martin, 1997) and the Melbourne Report(1992 cited in Martin, 1997). While management strategies and behaviourmodification programmes have been implemented, lack of discipline,troublesome behaviour and low motivation have been ever-presentphenomena in school-going adolescents. Writers have attempted to analysethe nature of lack of discipline and prescribe for its eradication. Our focus is toexplore general themes associated with the issue of discipline in schools andfactors influencing the adoption of specific policies, in particular a positiveteaching approach.

What is the function of discipline?

The function of discipline is seen as bridging a wide spectrum, from basicclassroom management in an orderly environment to learning to socialisepupils into values of honesty and courtesy. The function can be divided intotwo distinct sectors, managerial and educational. However, unless creating anorderly learning environment is seen as a prerequisite, other aspirations ofeducation are unlikely to be achieved.


4

The whats and whys of indiscipline

There is a growing consensus among writers exploring the issue of disciplinein schools that the most common type of discipline problem fits into thecategory of low-level disruption, e.g. talking out of turn, hindering otherstudents (Martin 1997, Elton 1989). This type of disruption is irritating, time-consuming and can result in great stress for the teacher. To provide reasonsand solutions for the deterioration in discipline, educators have been forced toexamine wider issues such as how to create order in school and who isresponsible for its creation.

Traditionally classroom management revolved around the individual teacher inthe classroom. In recent years the focus has shifted onto a whole schoolapproach of developing a collaborative culture. Central to this collaborativeapproach is the school’s attitude towards and expectations of its pupils, asthis will influence both the school’s and the individual teachers’ approach todiscipline. The attitude can be measured on a continuum (Porter, 1996), atone end of which school children are viewed as cognitively and morallydeficient, needing constant supervision. The opposite extreme sees childrenas inherently rational and moral and needing only to be provided with the rightconditions to behave properly. A third view towards the centre suggests thatchildren are capable of behaving in either manner and that it is their own self-esteem and the environment in which they develop which influences theirultimate response.

There is no foolproof method of choosing an appropriate discipline policy so,as part of the collaborative approach, schools need to explore the diversefactors that influence their own approach to discipline and find which particulartheory is most easily adaptable to that particular situation. However, focusingon positive behaviour and generally managing the classroom to ensure thatdesirable consequences follow appropriate behaviour has been shown to bemore effective than continually punishing undesirable behaviour.

The hows of positive discipline

Self-esteem

A central issue in dictating how a student behaves is his or her own self-esteem. Students with low self-esteem tend to have difficulties in relation toself-control. Research has shown their pattern of behaviour to mirror thediscipline problems teachers have indicated to occur most frequently inclassrooms. This leads to disruption of learning through talking out of turn,hindering other students, etc. For these students school often equates withfailure and thus they have lost the excitement of learning. Peer pressure isalso an important issue as difficult students seek attention and notoriety bydisrupting the class. Some of the solutions suggested include school activitieswhere students can achieve and find fulfilment, such as sport and drama.


5

Other successful strategies include creating a respectful classroomatmosphere.

Modification of behaviour

Modification of behaviour is central to the creation of order in the classroom,and not just at the behest of the teacher. Students are encouraged andrequired to take responsibility for their own behaviour. This approach sees theprimary function of discipline as being the creation of a classroomenvironment which encourages effective learning by accentuating the positive.The teacher can ensure insofar as is possible that the antecedents are correct(e.g. physical surroundings, classroom planning and lesson preparation).Most important of all is the appropriate matching of the students’ ability andperformance to the curriculum. A curriculum tailored to meet the interests andability of the learner has been shown to be a solution to disaffection. Inpractice teachers need to increase praise and approval while decreasingdisapproval and reprimands.

Negotiation

Students can be involved in negotiating an agreed set of rules, behaviouralstandards and the related sanctions. A first step is to encourage pupils tomonitor their own adherence to these rules through the provision of individualand class behaviour sheets. A further step would see the creation of a schoolcharter codifying the behaviours expected of all members of the schoolcommunity which, having been arrived at through negotiation, wouldencapsulate many of the key cultural assumptions implicit in the school.

Rewards and sanctions

While sanctions have been the mainstay of enforcing acceptable behaviour, itis evident that this approach has been less than successful. The current trendis to use an approach of positive re-enforcement. This approach isstraightforward and simply requires teachers to notice and endorse goodbehaviours.

Ensuring acceptable classroom behaviour

One of the central tenets of the positive discipline approach is theidentification at an early stage of the different elements constitutingacceptable classroom behaviour. This can be achieved by involving thestudents and negotiating what is acceptable. This is a key process because itaccords the students involved a level of respect that explicitly acknowledgestheir value and demonstrates the rational basis for the standards of behaviourexpected. This in turn is central to pupils’ adherence to rules. By usingpositive language and constantly acknowledging positive behaviour, teacherscan undoubtedly address other key factors in incidents of indiscipline: poor


6

self-esteem and lack of self-confidence. A final benefit of co-operative rulesetting is that it motivates students to take control of their own behaviour andlearning.

The role of the teacher

There are a number of issues relating to the role of the teacher which canlead to a breakdown in discipline, such as incompetent classroommanagement and poor staff morale. To help minimise the risk of inappropriatebehaviour emerging, the presence of universally understood rewards andsanctions provides teachers with a structure around which to base theirclassroom management procedures and ensures that teachers are capable ofresponding to the different requirements of the children they are teaching.

The role of management

Management support and organisational culture play a major role in dealingwith discipline issues. Therefore the development of a whole school ethosbased on the basic ideals of positive discipline is of primary importance. Thefinal step is to make it operational in a School Code of Behaviour or SchoolCharter.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that there is no one guaranteed way of ensuringthe presence of appropriate discipline in any school situation. We can,however, remove many of the low-level behaviours which cause disruption inour schools by raising the self-esteem of our students and creating a positivelearning environment. This will produce solutions for many low-level disciplineproblems. Many of the approaches outlined in this chapter are also identifiedas key characteristics and processes in making successful, effective schools.These include the following:

• Positive feedback and good treatment of pupils.

• Teachers as positive role models.

• Good classroom management.

• Attractive, orderly, learning environments.

• Staff involvement in decision making.

• Consistent whole school implementation.

• A system of rewards and positive reinforcement of rules, rather thanpunishment and criticism.


7

2. Discussion

The role of discipline in schools

The issue of discipline, or to be more accurate, its perceived absence, is onethat exercises many in education. In an Irish context this concern is evidencedby the publication of The Report to the Minister of Education on Discipline inSchools by Maeve Martin (1997). This provides a wide-ranging analysis of thenature of general discipline issues and the challenges and possibilities theypresent to schools. In Martin’s report, 64% of respondents in post-primaryschools and 34% of respondents in primary schools indicated that theproblems associated with discipline were of real concern to them (1997,p. 30). This level of concern suggests the need for some guidance on how toaddress the issue and a number of organisations have attempted to providethat guidance. However as Martin’s survey (1997) demonstrates, there is aneed for constant updating and reappraisal in the face of a constantlychanging situation.

This national interest is mirrored internationally in studies such as the EltonReport (1989) in Britain and the Melbourne Report (1992 cited in Martin,1997). Reports such as these have provided the platform upon whichmanagement strategies and behaviour modification programmes have beendeveloped and implemented to various degrees of success. Indiscipline,troublesome behaviour and low motivation in school-going adolescents havebeen an ever-present phenomenon. Currently there appears to be aconsensus of opinion in the teaching profession, which argues that:

The most common and troublesome behaviours are relativelytrivial. None of the key troublesome behaviours are crimes butthey are time wasting, irritating, stressful and ultimatelyexhausting for teachers.

(Wheldall & Merrett, 1989, p. 8)

This view was subscribed to by 80% of the schools in Martin’s survey:

The remaining 20% of the respondents reported that indisciplinewas of a serious and pervasive nature. Respondents in thiscategory were all working in areas of multiple disadvantage.

(1997, p. 31)

In addition to formal governmental reports, an increasing number of writershave attempted to provide those involved in education with analyses of thenature of discipline, insights into the causes of indiscipline, systems for itsmanagement and prescriptions for its eradication (Porter, 1996; Smith, 1994;Wheldall & Merrett, 1989; ASTI, 1995). While sometimes contradictory, thesewriters do draw on some common themes, make some generalrecommendations and advance the debate in the whole area. We will exploresome of the general themes associated with the issue of discipline in schools


8

and some of the factors influencing the adoption by schools of a specificdiscipline policy. In particular our focus will examine the positive teachingapproach for addressing problems associated with discipline, and assess thesuitability of this approach to the Irish educational environment.

The function of discipline in schools

The attempt to clearly define the function of discipline in schools is difficult.For many, discipline is synonymous with classroom management (Smith,1994; Cohen & Mannion, 1996) and its primary function is

the creation of an orderly environment that permits teaching andlearning to occur (Martin, 1997, p. 1)

Others, whilst acknowledging the classroom management aspect, attempt toprovide a broader understanding of discipline. Thus Munn, Johnstone andChalmers (1992) can state that

discipline can be an outcome of schooling, socialising pupilsinto, for example, values of honesty, courtesy and regard forothers (p. 3),

while Ausulbel (1978 cited in Curzon, 1990) can state that it is a necessaryprecondition for

the internalisation of moral standards and obligations - in otherwords, for the development of conscience (p. 219).

These different views do hint at the diversity of emphases that exist in thearea of discipline. In an attempt to provide some unity among such diversity,Louise Porter (1996) divides the functions of discipline into two distinctsections: the managerial and the educational. The managerial function quitesimply revolves around the maintenance of order so as to facilitate learning.The educational function, on the other hand, can be subdivided into threedistinct subthemes, those of

teaching children self-discipline, promoting group co-operationand educating students to participate in democracy (p. 3).

Laudable though these ideals may be, it is worth acknowledging the warningof Martin (1997) who states that

unless the immediate task of creating and maintaining aharmonious teaching and learning environment is successfullyaccomplished, the long-term aspirations of the educativeprocess are likely to remain unfulfilled. Order in schools is a pre-requisite for success (p 7).

It is noteworthy that the recognition of the importance of the creation of anorderly environment is not confined to teachers or indeed researchers alone.


9

Research carried out by Kevin Williams (1998) which reviewed perceptions ofstudent teachers as to what constitutes good teaching based on their ownschool experience emphasised the necessity of an orderly environment.Interestingly a key motif of this environment is the presence of what could betermed a positive climate.

To some extent, the subdivision of the functions of discipline into distinctsubsections, practical classroom management versus a broader educationalgood, creates a false dichotomy. Perhaps a more realistic appraisal is onethat sees the primary function of discipline as being one of creating orderlylearning environments, a requirement recognised by virtually all writers in thediscipline area (Porter, 1996). At the same time, it must be acknowledged thatthe processes by which this order is created can and do have widerimplications for the individual members of the school community as well associety at large (Martin, 1997).

Creating order in schools

One of the reasons for the increased interest in the whole area of discipline asevidenced by the work of Martin (1997), and Elton (1989), stems from theperception that it is more difficult to maintain order in schools today than itwas a decade or a generation ago. Statistics quoted by Martin (1997) suggestthat upwards of 70% of Irish urban secondary schools surveyed areconcerned about an increase in levels of indiscipline. These statistics aremirrored by the research of Wheldall and Merrett (1989) carried out in theWest Midlands Local Education Authority in England. They found that overhalf of teachers surveyed felt they were spending more time dealing withproblems associated with classroom control.

Troublesome low-level behaviours

In the course of large-scale research conducted with teachers in the UnitedKingdom, Wheldall and Merrett (1989) produced statistics which clearlyillustrated the two most troublesome behaviours as being:

• Talking out of turn (represented by D in the figure on page 10).

• Hindering other students (represented by G in the figure on page 10).

The following figure clearly illustrates the extent to which these types ofbehaviours occur in class on a far more regular basis than some other moreserious behaviour such as:

• Disobedience (represented by C in the figure on page 10).

• Physical aggression (represented by H in the figure on page 10).


10

Figure 1. Common troublesome behaviours

The definition of each misbehaviour employed in the survey was as follows:

A Verbal abuse Making offensive or insulting remarks to staff orother pupils

B Makingunnecessarynoise (non-verbal)

Banging objects/doors, scraping chairs, movingclumsily

C Disobedience Refusing/failing to carry out instructions or tokeep class or school rules

D Talking out of turn Calling out, making remarks, interrupting anddistracting others by talking or chattering

E Idleness/slowness Slow to begin or finish work, small amount ofwork completed

F Unpunctuality Late to school/lessons, late in fromplaytime/break

G Hindering otherchildren

Distracting others from work, interfering withtheir equipment or materials

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

A B C D E F G H I J


11

H Physicalaggression

Poking, pushing, striking others, throwing things

I Untidiness In appearance, in written work, in classroom, indesks

J Out of seat Getting out of seat without permission,wandering around

(Wheldall & Merrett, 1989, p 5)

In Martin’s report to the Irish Department of Education, the respondents gavethe following examples of low-level disruption:

• Talking out of turn;• Being generally heedless;• Arriving late to school;• Failure to bring along relevant materials;• Engaging in a range of attention-seeking behaviours.

(Martin, 1997, p. 32)

While the reasons for deterioration in discipline are varied, Martin (1997)alone identifies seven distinct categories of influence ranging from theincrease in family breakdowns through to the examination points system), thedemands from those who are required to deal with it are much the same.They want new ways of approaching the problem of discipline which takeaccount of the situations they are facing (Porter, 1996).

In attempting to provide new approaches, writers have been forced to addressthe issues of how order is created in a school and, by extension, of who isresponsible for its creation. Traditionally they have focused on thedevelopment of classroom management theories revolving around the work ofindividual teachers in individual classrooms (Good & Brophy, 1996; Cohen,Mannion & Morrison, 1996). This approach sees the locus of responsibility forthe control of discipline in schools as resting with the individual teacher.Arguably this concentration on the teacher in his/her classroom stems fromthe traditional understanding of their role. Characterised as autonomousprofessionals (Fullan, 1992) who are required to make immediate decisionson an ongoing basis, the teacher in their classroom is usually viewed as being‘alone and in control’ (Drudy & Lynch, 1993, p. 102). Under this view,discipline procedures must be tailored to assist them in maintaining thiscontrol (Drudy & Lynch, 1993). While there are no direct prescriptions as tohow this control is maintained, there is an implied understanding that anychange in the way discipline is approached will necessarily influence the way


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in which teachers view themselves and the way in which they are viewed byothers (Peters, 1983).

In recent years a rather different perception has emerged which emphasisesthe whole school aspect of creating order in schools. Writers such as Elton(1989), Smith (1994) and Martin (1997) highlight the connection between thewider school community attitude towards discipline and the type of disciplineprocedures adopted by particular teachers. Echoing the work of Schein (1992)with regard to organisational culture, they emphasise the role played by theattitudes, beliefs, values, traditions and aspirations of the whole schoolcommunity in the area of discipline. Discipline processes which seek toinvolve the wider school often have to make explicit the underlying values ofthe school community in that particular area. Doing this can be painful andthreatening, particularly in times of change. For this reason, writers such asMartin (1997) recommend that

schools should seek to develop collaborative cultures and normsof collegiality whereby issues relating to discipline can bediscussed and shared (p. 56).

By doing this, schools would be acknowledging that while the teacher is stillthe primary source of authority in the class situation, the exercise of thatauthority is both tempered and supported by the concerns and values of therest of the school community. Thus their role remains unthreatened while theprocesses by which they maintain order may actually change. Whileacknowledging the broad truth of this analysis, Munn, Johnstone andChalmers (1992) argue that there is still a tendency among some teachers toview the whole school and individual classroom arenas as entirely separate.Arguing against this view, they state that there is an explicit connectionbetween the discipline processes adopted at the whole school level and thepractice of individual teachers in two specific areas. The first of these areasrevolves around the school’s attitudes towards and expectations of its pupils,while the second concerns the role of the teacher in the discipline process. Asthey state,

the school’s view of its pupils is operationalised into the mainpurposes of teaching held by teachers. These, in turn, influencethe goals which teachers set for their pupils and so what countsas effective discipline in their classrooms (p. 127).

In practical terms this can influence the decision made by both the school andthe individual teachers as to the type of disciplinary approach to adopt.

Porter (1996) argues that school’s attitudes towards and expectations ofstudents’ behaviour in the area of discipline exist on a continuum. At one endis the view that children are cognitively and morally deficient and thereforeneed constant supervision and guidance. At the other end is the belief thatchildren are inherently rational and moral and need only be provided with theright conditions in order to behave properly. A third view, towards the middle


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of the continuum, argues that children are capable of behaving in eithermanner and that it is their own self-esteem and the environment in which theyare brought up that influences their ultimate condition. Naturally the viewtaken by the school in this particular area will have significant repercussionson the policy of discipline adopted. It will also influence its view of the role tobe played by teachers in the whole area of school discipline. In the finalanalysis, there is no single foolproof method of choosing an appropriatediscipline policy for a particular school situation. Instead of looking for a theorythat fits a situation perfectly, it is probably more beneficial to explore thediverse factors that influence the particular school’s approach to discipline andsee which particular theory or approach is most easily adaptable to thatparticular situation.

The influence of self-esteem

There may be many personal and social reasons to explain why studentsmisbehave in class. Psychologist Tony Humphreys, in his book Self-Esteem:The Key to Your Child’s Education explains that invariably ‘it is difficulties ofunder-control that primarily affect classroom management’ (1994, p. 196).

A perusal of his list of under-control, low-level behaviours provides similardata to that presented by Wheldall and Merrett (1989) and Martin (1997);

• Shouting out to others• Not having materials needed for class• Pushing and shoving other children• Distracting others• Entering rooms noisily

It is Humphreys’ contention that

the child with middle/low self-esteem has lost that excitement oflearning; any learning means risking failure and mistakes andthese have only brought humiliation and rejection in the past. Itis safer to risk a parent’s or teacher’s disapproval rather than theembarrassment and punishment. (1994, p. 7).

Peer pressure is an important aspect in the classroom setting. A great deal ofdisruptive students’ behaviour is attention-seeking and as these students arenot having their needs met by achieving in their school work, they seeknotoriety by disrupting the class.

For some the situation can be so bad that

their level of achievement gives them reasons to believe thatthey simply do not possess a capacity that is highly valued in theacademic context. Indeed this may in fact cause some to


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essentially drop out of an unfair race - psychologically orphysically

(Anderman, E.M. & Maehr, M. 1994, p. 291).

It is possible to improve the situation of such students by providing them withopportunities to demonstrate abilities in different arenas. Examples of thesecould include organised sports events or a school drama. Receivingrecognition in these areas allows them the choice of remaining in thebackground in class, while still publicly recognising their abilities and talents.These small successes are essential, since according to Humphreys (1993),

what is most needed is an elevation of their self-esteem beforeeffective academic development can be established (p. 3).

In the summary of findings accompanying Martin’s report (1997), teachersreferred to

the importance of the quality of their teaching and their ability toengage with their students in a respectful classroom atmosphere(p. 38).

Frequently cited strategies included:

1. Focusing on positive pupil behaviours2. Nipping problems in the bud3. The withdrawal of privileges

Ineffective strategies included:

1. Confrontation and becoming angry2. Failing to give a student an “out” or a face-saving opportunity3. Being inflexible, inconsistent or too dogmatic

In their book Positive Teaching in the Secondary School (1989), Wheldall andMerrett put forward the theory that

if we wish to change the behaviour of our pupils we shouldconcentrate upon arranging for desirable consequences tofollow appropriate behaviour. It has been shown repeatedly thatrewarding appropriate behaviour is more effective thanpunishing undesirable behaviour (p. 13).

The seventeenth century philosopher John Locke cited by Wheldall andMerrett (1989) wrote:

Children are very sensible of praise and commendation. Theyfind pleasure in being esteemed and valued, especially by theirparents and those whom they depend on (p. 53).

The manner in which students and teachers relate in class is of vitalimportance: students depend on their teachers and value their opinions. Apositive approach in which rules are expressed in a positive manner and goodbehaviour is noticed and endorsed will undoubtedly boost the pupil’s self-image. This is acknowledged in the work of Porter (1996) when she states:


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A positive classroom tone reflects the way the teacher organizesthe class to maximize students’ self-esteem and learning

(1996, p. 210).

The student who graduates from school with a high self-esteem has trulybenefited through his/her education; this view is strongly supported byDorothy Corkille Briggs cited by Tony Humphreys:

A person’s judgement of self influences the kind of friends hechooses, how he gets along with others, the kind of person hemarries and how productive he will be, it affects his creativity,integrity, stability and even whether he will be a leader or afollower. His feelings of self-worth form the core of hispersonality, and determine the uses he makes of his aptitudesand abilities. His attitude toward himself has a direct bearing onhow he lives all parts of his life. In fact, self-esteem is themainspring that slates each of us for success or failure as ahuman being (cited in Humphreys, 1993, p. 25).

Positive discipline

The positive discipline approach sees the modification of behaviour as being akey to the creation of order in the classroom setting. Interestingly, it arguesthat this modification does not necessarily have to be at the sole behest of theteacher. Students are seen as being central to the process and areencouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour. While itconcentrates on the activities of teachers and pupils in individual classroomsettings, the work of Smith (1994) does acknowledge a role for the widerschool community in the development of a positive approach to discipline.This approach sees the primary function of discipline as being the creation ofa classroom environment which encourages effective learning. As its namesuggests, it does this quite simply by

Requiring teachers to focus their attention on pupils when theyare behaving appropriately rather than continually being on thelookout for and reprimanding inappropriate behaviour

(Wheldall, 1991, p. 101),

or, in other words, by ‘accentuating the positive’ (Wheldall, 1991).

On a theoretical level, this approach to discipline is based on what Wheldallterms the "Behaviourist Interactionist Perspective" (Wheldall, 1991, p. 101).This view draws heavily on the applied behaviour analysis theories of writerssuch as Martin and Pear (1999). These theories argue that behaviour iscontrolled and altered by two key factors. The first of these is theconsequences of the behaviour or the response it receives. The second factorinvolves the environment within which the behaviour takes place, known asantecedents. These theories tend to be entirely teacher-directed, objectives-


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based and tightly sequenced, and as such deny any role to the pupil in takingcontrol of their own learning.

Antecedents

A first step for teachers is to take account of the conditions under whichmisbehaviour occurs. This is referred to as observing the antecedents.

Antecedents can greatly increase the likelihood that a givenbehaviour will occur, and so these conditions must beunderstood in detail so that preventive measures can beenacted (Baily and Pyles, 1989; Hanner, 1994).

(Cited by L. Porter, 1996, p. 33).

The physical surroundings, classroom planning and lesson preparations areimportant antecedents to have correct. We must especially ensure that thecurriculum is appropriate for all students. Research shows that the curriculum‘may be a causative factor in disaffection, It also shows that it can be asolution to disaffection if tailored to meet the interests and ability of thelearner’ (Kinder, et al ,1995 cited in Martin, 1997, p. 23).

Although acknowledging their debt to these theories, Wheldall and Merrett(1989) suggest that the positive teaching approach has moved beyond them.They argue that as well as being behaviourist it is also interactionist. Thismeans that the role played by all individuals involved in the promotion ofeffective discipline is acknowledged and encouraged. In practice, the theoryencourages the increase of teacher praise and approval and the decrease ofdisapproval and reprimands. The findings of Wheldall and Merrett proclaimthat low-level misbehaviour

are the very behaviours which respond well to simple, positivemethods of classroom behaviour management (1989, p. 9).

Teacher praise is to be used particularly as a reward for behaviour thatcontributes to the creation of an effective learning environment. Thus thedirect consequence of good behaviour is praise. The corollary that badbehaviour is constantly reprimanded is not necessarily true.

However, ‘it is well documented that teachers as a group are not much givento praising and rewarding pupils’ (Munn, Johnson, Chalmers, 1992, p. 25).While there is a role for reprimands and sanctions in the positive teachingprocess, the focus is on eliminating the need for reprimands by continuallyrecognising positive behaviour. Traditional approaches would see the settingof rules as being the job of the teacher. Wheldall and Merrett emphasise theimportance of allowing students have some say in their negotiation. Byallowing them do this, pupils ‘can be directly involved in bringing aboutbehaviour change’ (Wheldall, 1991, p. 111).


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This is achieved by agreeing what is appropriate behaviour for the class,codifying this behaviour in a set of positively framed rules and encouragingpupils to monitor their own adherence to these rules through the provision ofindividual or class behaviour sheets (Munn, Johnstone & Chalmers, 1992).

Smith takes this one level further by advocating the creation of a schoolcharter in much the same way. This charter will codify the behaviour expectedof all members of the school community and, given that it is arrived at by anegotiated process, should encapsulate many of the key cultural assumptionsimplicit in that community.

Ultimately the process of creating school discipline put forward by the positiveteaching theorists acknowledges the primary role of the teacher in the wholeprocess while at the same time creating structures that will allow thedevelopment of autonomous behaviour patterns by the students.

Sanctions

Sanctions have, to date, been the mainstay of enhancing acceptablebehaviour across the wide spectrum of educational establishments. Recentevidence suggests that sanctions alone have proven less than successful. Amove is now warranted towards an environment of positive re-enforcement ofthe types of behaviour we want to experience on a daily basis in classrooms.

Smith endorses this approach:

It’s more productive to concentrate on giving attention andpraise to good behaviour than to constantly criticise badbehaviour. What we learn with pleasure we never forget.

(1994, p. 21)

Wheldall and Merrett also support this approach and add that

Bad behaviour can be unlearned and new, more appropriatebehaviour learned in its place. (1989, p. 12)

Positive teaching is straightforward: it concerns itself with noticing andendorsing good behaviour. It has none of the damaging side-effectsassociated with sanctions. Many teachers are familiar with and exasperatedby scenes of students proclaiming their innocence, for example by lying,cheating or shifting the blame onto other students. Another strategy studentsemploy is to absent themselves from class. None of these practices contributeto the function of education and ultimately they are damaging to theindividual’s self-esteem.

Positive discipline: A suitable approach for Irish schools?

Munn, Johnson and Chalmers speak of effective discipline as ‘somethingwhich allowed learning to take place’ (1992, p. 5).


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They continue by suggesting that:

In order to analyse and improve upon any school disciplinepolicy, staff must examine carefully their own workingarrangements. They must do this in order to identify the hiddenagendas, which undermine day to day rules, sanctions, rewardsand all the other means used to promote and maintain effectivediscipline (p. 13).

Any attempt to assess the suitability of the positive discipline approach in theIrish school context requires accurate and up-to-date information in a numberof key areas. Specifically, information is needed which details the reality ofIrish teachers’ experiences with discipline and which offers an insight into theirunderstanding of the increase in incidents of indiscipline. The suitability of thepositive discipline approach could be judged by its ability to provide somepractical advice on how to address some of the issues raised. Thanks to thework of Martin (1997), such a body of information has been made available.There is an obvious congruence between the findings of Wheldall and Merrett(1989) and those of Martin (1997). Thus there would seem to be a value inapplying some of the insights generated by the positive teaching theorists tothe specific Irish situation.

Watkins (1995 cited in Martin, 1997) suggests that discipline problems occuron, and are best understood at, three particular levels: those of the pupil; theteacher; and the organisation. By inference it could be argued that anysolutions offered to indiscipline must address all of these levels. However inorder to do this properly, the information on the particular type of behaviourthat contributes to indiscipline at each specific level must be found.Fortunately, Martin (1997) in her report provides valuable information on theinternal and external influences that contribute to levels of discipline in bothprimary and post-primary schools. At the first level, that of the pupil, one of themajor causes of indiscipline is identified as being a confusion on the pupil’spart as to what actually constitutes acceptable behaviour. Martin (1997) laysthe blame for this on ‘the absence of a clearly articulated, consistentlyimplemented Code of Behaviour’ (p. 35).

As we have seen, one of the central tenets of the positive discipline approachis the identification at a very early stage of the different elements thatconstitute acceptable classroom behaviour. This concern can be traced backto the behaviourist origins of the approach and underpins many of therecommendations made by writers in the area. A key element in theidentification of this type of behaviour is the involvement of the pupils in thenegotiation of what is acceptable. Although this usually takes place in the formof negotiating acceptable classroom rules, Smith (1994) emphasises thatthese are merely the public expression of the forms of behaviour that areacceptable to that particular group The process is the key factor here. Byinvolving the pupils in the decisions as to the type of behaviour that isconsidered acceptable, you are not only according their input a level of


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respect that explicitly acknowledges their value, but you are alsodemonstrating the rational basis for the standards of behaviour expected. Thislast point, according to Elton (1989), is central to the pupils’ adherence to therules. As he states,

any rule for which no rational explanation can be provided issuspect (p. 98)(and) ‘suspect rules tend to be disregarded’(Cohen, Mannion & Morrison, 1996).

As well as providing a rationale for the particular type of behaviour expected,the very manner in which the rules are expressed helps address one of theother major factors in incidents of indiscipline - ‘poor self-esteem and lack ofself confidence’ (Martin, 1997, p 36). By framing rules in positive languageand by constantly acknowledging incidents of positive behaviour during theclass, the teacher will undoubtedly boost the self-image of the pupil (Wheldall,1991). A final benefit of this co-operative rule setting is identified by Smith(1994) who sees the negotiation of classroom rules as being one of the keyelements in encouraging students to take control of their own behaviour andlearning.

At the second level, that of the teacher, Martin (1997) identifies a number ofissues that can lead to a breakdown in discipline. Among the most significantof these is the presence of

‘teachers who lack competent classroom management skills’(and the presence of) ‘poor staff morale, leading to apathy’(p. 36).

Quite often the former problem arises not only from the lack of a coherentstrategy for dealing with inappropriate behaviour but also an inability toemploy pro-active strategies to pre-empt the emergence of inappropriatebehaviour in the first place. By emphasising the importance of both teacher-created and naturally occurring antecedents, Wheldall and Merrett (1989)provide teachers with a way of minimising the chances of inappropriatebehaviour emerging. In the unlikely event that it does arise, the presence ofuniversally understood rewards and sanctions provides teachers with astructure around which to base their classroom management procedures.

As already stated, this ability to manage a classroom is one of the key factorsin a teacher’s understanding of their own role (Drudy & Lynch, 1993). If staffconsider themselves unable to perform in this critical area, it will naturallyaffect both their morale and their ability to accept and incorporate innovatoryideas into their work. Thus the system of positive classroom management notonly assists teachers in managing their pupils better, it also ensures that theyare capable of responding and adapting to the different requirements of thechildren they are teaching, a key factor in the encouragement of appropriatebehaviour (Porter, 1996).


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At the final level, that of the organisational culture,

the lack of support from senior management in day to daycoping with disruptive incidents (Martin, 1997, p. 36)

is identified as a source of difficulty in dealing with discipline issues. Smithacknowledges the need for the development of a whole school ethos basedon the basic ideals of positive discipline:

… the school’s ethos is endlessly talked about. It is an aim, aphilosophical statement. An intent that hopefully prevails fromday to day. It is an expectation. Rules and disciplines are thetools that are required to achieve this ethos, i.e. the end result

(Smith, 1994, p. 11).

Yet again, the negotiated rules approach of the positive discipline practitionerswould seem to have something to offer teachers in their attempt to create anorganisational climate or ethos that facilitates and encourages appropriatebehaviour.

Effective schools

Michael Rutter (1979), while comparing the “effectiveness” of ten secondaryschools in London, made findings which pointed to the importance of keycharacteristics and processes which are significant in judging successfulschools. Key issues in his book Fifteen Thousand Hours were as follows:

1. Positive feedback and treatment of pupils.2. Teachers as positive role models.3. Good classroom management.

In 1995, Pam Summers at the London Institute of Education identified thefollowing key characteristics of effective schools:

1. Attractive, orderly learning environments.2. Staff involvement in decision making.3. Consistent whole school practice.4. A system of rewards and positive reinforcement of rules rather than

punishment and criticism.

Progress has been made in many areas by using a whole school approach ininitiating improved strategies for school management. Teachers mustcontinue to show that they are willing to take control of change and beprepared to accept the responsibility for its implementation in theirclassrooms.


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Conclusion

Ultimately the warning of Munn, Johnstone and Chalmers (1992) that there isno one guaranteed way of ensuring the presence of appropriate discipline inany school situation is important to remember.

We can, however, erase many of the low-level behaviours which causedisruption in our schools by raising the self-esteem of our students andcreating a positive learning environment.

This will pre-empt low-level discipline problems arising in class. Particularcontexts demand particular approaches. The approach detailed here, thepositive discipline approach, offers insights for teachers attempting toapproach discipline in a new manner. Helpful though they may be, thewholesale adoption of the ideals outlined in the following chapters could provecounterproductive. A more prudent course of action might involve theselective matching of elements to the identified needs of the particular school.This is a dynamic process and one that will involve not only one or twoteachers but a whole school community willing to experiment - a requirementthat may prove difficult to meet.


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Chapter Two – Opting For Positive Discipline

1. Summary

Introduction

This chapter first summarises and then discusses in depth the initial stages ofsetting up the positive discipline programme in Greendale Community School.It begins with the realisation that there was a need for change followed by theestablishment of a school working group with specific objectives and in duecourse the development of an implementation plan. The Summary sectionoutlines the key points which emerged from the Greendale process, andconcludes with suggestions for approaching similar problems in other schools.The Discussion section presents these three initial stages in the newapproach to discipline in greater depth.

Stage 1: Deciding what needs to be done

The first stage of any change process is the realisation that something needsto be done. This can occur as a result of a general staff meeting, a growingperception expressed privately or a specific incident that leads to reflection onthe part of the whole staff. In the case of Greendale Community School, therealisation that discipline was an issue came as the result of a SWOTanalysis. This analysis looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats faced by any organisation and is an excellent way of getting a pictureof the current state of an organisation. The school used the analysis as part ofa school planning process and it was something of a surprise when the issueof discipline emerged so prominently.

Stage 2: Deciding where to start: The working group

As a direct result of the SWOT analysis, a decision was made to set up a“Discipline Working Group”. In this particular school the Principal had a keyrole in establishing the group and in facilitating its development. The groupperformed many key tasks but perhaps the two most important were asfollows:

1. It pulled together a large amount of resources relating to discipline andbegan a debate about which was the most suitable approach for thisparticular school


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2. It established an open approach to the discussion of discipline - all ideaswere welcomed and it was the decision of the whole group to adopt apositive discipline approach.

While a working group is not essential, it does provide any process with agood base from which to develop. A number of key issues must be taken intoaccount when setting up any group:

• Who decides who is to take part in it?

• Will there be a formal structure (chairperson/secretary, etc.)?

• When will it meet (will the meetings be facilitated during school hours)?

• What resources will it have (books/videos/secretarial resources/off-sitevisits, etc.)?

• How and when will it report back to the school as a whole?

Stage 3: Making your direction clear: Setting objectives

One of the most important tasks undertaken by the working group was thesetting of objectives. In the case of Greendale Community School, this wasdone as part of a research application but it is the process of setting theobjectives that is important. By stating clearly what you intend to do within aparticular timeframe, you are forced to put a limit on the planning phase andbegin the process of thinking about how and when you are going to put yourideas into practice.

Stage 4: Turning ideas into actions: Developing animplementation plan

Teachers in the working group decided to use an approach called ‘ActionResearch’ to begin the process of introducing a new approach to discipline.This involved combining their own experience and professional insights withbackground reading and research in order to develop a practical solution to aproblem facing them in the workplace. The process is cyclical and allowsteachers to try new solutions in a controlled manner while at the same timegiving them an opportunity to reflect on the success or failure of their input. Ithas proved a very popular way of implementing new ideas precisely becauseit uses the professional expertise and knowledge built up by teachers as thebasis for any intervention.

In this case, some of the teachers involved decided to develop individualresearch projects which would each achieve a particular objective. The


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working group continued to meet and the teachers used it as an opportunity toshare emerging ideas and insights.

There are, of course, alternatives:

• Individual working groups could be set up to examine key objectives. Forexample, groups could be established to look at the following:

− uniform− staff development− setting rules− re-writing school handbooks− involving parents, etc.

• Different subject departments could be asked to look at any of the aboveor asked to explore the issues arising from the point of view of their ownparticular subject needs.

• All key stakeholders (i.e. teachers, other school staff, parents, pupils)could be invited to elect representatives to a newly constituted groupwhich would act as a co-ordinating body for any new approach.

• Or any combination of the above.

The important issue here is that some way of moving the process along thatinvolves members of the school community is developed. Whatever format isdecided it is essential that:

− A structure be established.

− Adequate resources be provided to allow those involved in the process toachieve their stated aims.

− A timetable be agreed detailing key steps that have to be taken.

− A mechanism be established for communicating the results of the work tothe whole school community.

Finally, it is important to be realistic. Setting unrealisable goals at an earlystage of a project can lead to disaffection and disappointment and mightultimately lead to the abandonment of any process initiated. The experienceof the school presented here suggests that the best way to do things is to lookfor short-term wins or small successes that can regularly be celebrated by theschool community and provide the impetus for another round of meetings ordevelopments. Examples could include the following:

• The agreement of new school rules• The successful drawing up of group objectives


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• A mock up of a new school uniform• A presentation by all groups/individuals of the work they have done at a

staff meeting, etc.


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2. Discussion

School context

The programme under investigation was initiated and developed in GreendaleCommunity School, a well-established community school on the North side ofDublin. By the early 1990s, extensive social and economic change in theschool’s catchment area had begun to alter the profile of students enrolling inthe school. As a result of this, the school community began a process oforganisational exploration and evaluation.

The first stage in this process of reappraisal was the decision to draw up adraft school development plan in 1994. As part of the consultation processengaged in during the drafting stage, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunitiesand threats (SWOT) analysis was carried out (Tuohy, 1997). This analysisidentified indiscipline as one of the major problem areas in the school. Thetype of discipline problems identified consisted primarily of “a breakdown inminor areas of discipline; simply maintaining law and order, students lining upfor class in an orderly fashion, leaving class in an orderly fashion, treatingeach other and staff with respect” (Mulcahy, 1997, p. 1).

The emergence of indiscipline as a major problem was viewed by many staffas being particularly worrying as it seemed to mark a significant shift in thedominant culture and ethos of the school. A widespread alteration in disciplinepatterns, seen by many as being a key aspect of the school’s culture, seemedto augur badly for the continuance of the open and friendly climate whichmany teachers and pupils saw as being at the core of the community (Byrne,1997; Mulcahy, 1997; Fitzmaurice, 1997).

As a result of the investigations outlined, the Principal established a studygroup comprising eight interested staff members which was committed toexamining the issue of discipline as it affected the school. This was the firststep in the process which eventually led to the development of “Curam”, awhole school approach to positive discipline and the “Positive LearningProgramme”, which are dealt with in detail in Chapters Three and Fourrespectively.

The genesis of the programme

The working group phase

The group chosen by the Principal began exploring alternative approaches todiscipline currently employed in both Irish schools and those abroad. Thegroup was initially timetabled to meet for two periods a week to “talk aboutthings to do with school”, according to one participant.


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There was a general commitment among group members to

look at the discipline situation in the school, to look at ourobjectives with regard to discipline and in particular to look at thearea of weak students and our approach and their approach todiscipline in schools.

Although the Principal asked for one of the teachers to act as a facilitator, intheir initial phase the meetings were relatively unstructured. The participantsviewed the group in a positive light, recognising the value in having time setaside for professional dialogue. The lack of hierarchy and generally broadfocus of the discussion was also welcomed.

The group was a number of weeks in existence before the idea of applying fora Department of Education research grant was introduced. The idea ofdeveloping a research proposal was used as a discussion initiator for someweeks with people reacting to it in whatever way they saw fit. During the sameperiod, the Principal provided the group with a variety of material on discipline,much of it drawn from sources influenced by the positive approach todiscipline.

The Principal characterised the work of the group during this period in thefollowing manner:

… really we moved along very much, firstly in an analytic way oftrying to define the problem and then towards strategies ofaddressing the problem.

As such the working group was seen as being far more than just a simplediscussion forum. Rather it was viewed as being the key forum for the designand implementation of a new discipline policy.

This phase of the programme was a vital one insofar as it established themechanism that would be used to devise a strategy for dealing with theproblem of indiscipline. This mechanism was a group mechanism, made up ofindividuals chosen by the Principal for their insights into the general issue ofdiscipline.

The decision to use a group does not seem to have been a haphazard one.The Principal as a manager, in consultation with the school community, hadidentified a problem and had looked for a way of solving it. Having identifiedthe group mechanism as the ideal, the next stage involved the formation of agroup identity. This was a key stage. In essence it involved allowing groupmembers time and space to mould their individual behaviours into some sortof collective while at the same time maintaining a capacity for independentaction and thought (Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborne, 1994). It is importantbecause the behaviour of individuals within a group has a strong impact onhow the group performs. The challenge facing the Principal in this situation


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was to co-ordinate individual behaviour through a team-building process inorder to achieve the wider organisational goals in the area of discipline.

The strategy used was designed to give the group a sense of sharedownership of the project. It was a comparatively simple one and bore strongresemblance to the model of team-building suggested by Hoyle (1986). Heidentified three things which he considered essential to the formation of asuccessful group:

the free flow of information, the well organised meetings and thesharing of responsibilities

(cited in Earley & Campbell, 1992, p. 189).

In this case, a meeting structure was established with a facilitator appointed.As there was no formal hierarchy within the group, individuals sharedresponsibilities at all levels. The constant provision of relevant literatureensured that information was freely available to all.

The overall process of group development was a great success with the groupdeveloping a strong sense of identity. From the point of view of theprogramme, they also began the process of developing ideas and putting inplace structures that would ultimately evolve into the whole school disciplineprogramme.

On an organisational level, the stage of group formation raised the issue ofwider participation and ownership in a process which would, in practice, affectevery other member of the school community. There is an obvious tensionhere. On the one hand, if a group is to be a vehicle for organisationaldevelopment it must develop a corporate identity of its own. On the otherhand, the demands of organisational development include a demand for thedevelopment of a broad sense of staff ownership of the entire process. This isa natural tension to which there is probably no complete solution. However, itsnegative effects can be ameliorated to an extent by the establishment of clearcommunication and reporting channels between the group and the widerorganisation.

Setting objectives

As has been mentioned in the previous section, a decision was made by thegroup in question to approach the Department of Education with a view tosecuring a small-scale research grant to support their work. This applicationwas successful and the group used the conditions imposed by the grantingauthority to begin the next stage of focusing the development policy. Perhapsthe most important requirement of the funding proposal was the statement ofresearch objectives that were to be met by the end of the research period.The need to define these objectives forced the working group to summariseits thinking in the key areas of the definition of positive discipline and theprocess by which they proposed to introduce a whole school programme. In


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the end it was decided to set four key research objectives. In the view of thegroup, the attainment of these objectives would ensure the development of apositive ethos in the school. The key objectives identified were as follows:

1. To address disciplinary problems in a positive way.

2. To provide teachers with a coherent strategy for engaging students ineffective learning.

3. To produce a coherent strategy which could be used as an exemplar forimplementation in other schools.

4. To provide an opportunity to engage formally in professional reflection anddialogue.

It is important to note that there was a strong formal link between the groupengaged in the initial stages of the research and the staff as a whole from theoutset. As the objectives suggest, they saw the ultimate effects of the projectin a whole school context. The focus of their research was to find ways torealise the stated objectives in the school as a whole, not just in their ownpractice.

Choosing Action Research

Having decided on four key research objectives, the group was left with theproblem of how they were to achieve them. From the outset there had been astrong commitment among all group members to the concept of collaborativeand democratic research which would validate and utilise the skills andinsights of the group in particular and the staff as a whole. As a result of this,when the group was forced to make a decision as to the type ofimplementation approach to be adopted there was general agreement that itshould be one that would take account of the collegial and teacher-led natureof the programme to date. In the end, a decision was made to adopt an‘Action Research’ approach (McKernan, 1996; McNiff, McNamara & Leonard,2000).

Action Research is a form of inquiry which seeks to make use of the immenseamount of practical and theoretical knowledge which every individualgenerates in the course of a career. It provides those who undertake it withthe tools to both reflect on what they do and why they do it as well as tochange what they do while engaging in this reflection. While there are manymodels proposed, most agree that it should be viewed as a cyclical processthat begins with the proposal of an idea, develops through a series of actionsteps designed to see if this idea has any validity and concludes with anevaluation as to the value of the idea and the knowledge generated in thecourse of its exploration. This cycle can be repeated as many times as isdeemed necessary and indeed some would argue that the cycle never really


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ends. A key element of this approach is its emphasis on the collaborativenature of research. All research is seen as taking place in a context wherecolleagues are both informants and participants who should be consulted andinvolved. As a result, Action Research has become very popular with teachersand school communities attempting to explore ways to change and augmenttheir everyday practice in a way that is collaborative as opposed tocompetitive. For these reasons it was seen as being an ideal model for theteachers involved in this process (Byrne, 1997; Mulcahy, 1997; Fitzmaurice,1997).

Events at the beginning of the next phase – the beginning of the ActionResearch projects – forced a reappraisal of both its structures and direction.At a structural level, the Principal was unable to facilitate the timetablingrequests of the eight working group members. This forced the individual groupmembers to explore ways of continuing their work on an extra-curricular basis.One solution came as the result of a decision by a number of the key workinggroup members to enrol on a programme of post-graduate studies at DublinCity University. A key element in the course undertaken was a commitment tothe development and implementation of an Action Research project in theirworkplace. The group members naturally decided to formalise the researchwork they had been engaged over the previous year in their Action Researchprojects. The other researchers felt unable to continue with their formal inputto the working group due to the new constraints, but continued to have aninput to the programme as part of the wider staff consultation process.

The following action research projects were initiated:

1. ‘The Positive Learning Programme’: An attempt to pilot an approach todiscipline for a school year group based on the positive discipline model.

2. ‘The Theatre of Daylight’: How a collaborative approach could be used toimplement a positive discipline programme throughout the entire school.

3. ‘Teaching as Learning’: How support structures for student teachersundertaking the Higher Diploma in Education in the school could beimproved in the area of discipline through the facilitation of dialogue andreflection.

4. ‘Effective Learning’: How the development of a positive ethos in a schoolcould be used to encourage students to engage in more effective learning.

While the four research projects were separate, they were designed to involveall staff members, having as their overall focus the creation of a positive ethoswithin the school. The research projects were seen as separate, thoughinterconnected, ways of creating structures to facilitate the creation of such anethos. The working group of four continued to meet on a regular basis withevaluators from Dublin City University. These sessions were used as an


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opportunity to review and refocus the programme as a whole and as anopportunity to share insights generated in the individual projects(see Figure 2).

School ProjectGroup

Result ofSchoolAnalysis

FinalEvaluation

Action ResearchReport 1: Positive

LearningProgramme

Action ResearchReport 3:

A Whole-SchoolApproach to

Positive Discipline


Teaching asLearning


Effective Learning:A Pupil-Centered

Approach

Figure 2. The research programme structure

The importance of this stage in the programme’s development lies in theopportunities it provided to the group to identify and assess potentially usefulstrategies for wider application.

The scale of the programme meant that the danger inherent in any innovationwas kept to a minimum. This allowed the innovation initiators to implementpotentially dangerous ideas on a small scale without risking wide-scaledisruption in the event of their failure.

Reeves (1991) explicitly acknowledges the centrality of this role in large-scaleorganisational change stressing that

the innovation needs to be reduced to manageable proportions,to a series of stages where structures are formed which havepotential for development and participants are enabled tobecome proactive and experience success. If this is not doneparticipants may well lose heart or feel overwhelmed from theoutset (p. 23).


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These individual research projects identified and tested some of the coreimplementation procedures used in the next stage of the programme, andindeed some of the research projects were to continue and form the backboneof the next stage of implementation. Of particular importance was theprocedure of identifying the key stakeholders in each process. This allowedthe researchers to enter into a period of negotiation with them designed toelicit both support and ideas for the project as a whole. In the disciplineprogramme, the negotiations with the pastoral care team and the year groupteachers were a case in point.

Another key issue in this phase concerns the generally positive response ofthe rest of the staff to the smaller working group as reported to the evaluator.By designing and successfully implementing programmes which had theirroots in the discussions of the working group, they were showing that therewas a practical side to their deliberations. This is recognised as an importantelement of any organisational innovation. Kotter (1995) calls these successes‘short-term wins’ and sees them having a key role to play in any changeprogramme. He argues that

real transformation takes time, and a renewal effort risks losingmomentum if there are no short term goals to meet andcelebrate ... Without short term wins too many people give up oractively join the ranks of those people who have been resistingchange (p. 65).

A key short-term win in two of the programmes at least was the gradualtransference of a degree of autonomy for their behaviour to the pupils. Whilethe nature and extent of that transference was quite different in both cases,the dynamic was substantially the same. This served to underline the generalthrust of the work being undertaken by the group and provided the impetus forthe development of a wider implementation focus (Byrne, 1997; Mulcahy,1997). In the other projects, the involvement of the broader school communityand the integration of the student teacher members of the staff also proved tobe very successful (Fitzmaurice, 1997).

Another important development was the proven ability of the individualresearchers to keep their identities as members of the team while at the sametime engaging in independent research. This was to prove particularlyimportant in the next phase of the programme.

Overall this stage saw the acceleration of movement away from thepredominantly group focus that had naturally developed and towards adevelopment of links with the wider school community and for this reason itshould be seen as being a very important one. The attempt to further build onthese links through the introduction of an external facilitator will be analysed inthe next section.


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It is important to note at this stage that due to constraints imposed by thecentral focus of this short publication, it is only possible to concentrate on twoof the Action Research projects mentioned above in any great depth. This isnot in any way to ignore the importance of the third and fourth projects -indeed many fascinating insights emerged from both.

The final evaluation report included many of the insights generated by thereport entitled “Effective Learning: A People Centred Approach” (Brennan,1997). This project took the key concept of involving students in the setting ofappropriate norms for their behaviour into a different learning environment, inthis case into an IT-rich language laboratory situation, and allowing themextend this involvement into decisions relating to the teaching methodologiesemployed.

Particular attention should also be drawn to the report “Teaching andLearning” (Fitzmaurice, 1997) which dealt with the important area of how toinduct new staff, in this case Higher Diploma in Education students, into theworkings of a school discipline system. The project, Teaching as Learning:Improving the Support for the Student Teacher in the School, was

undertaken with the purpose of improving the support forstudent teachers in one school by facilitating dialogue andreflection on positive classroom management approaches

(Fitzmaurice, 1997, p i ).

The focus of the remainder of this book, however, concentrates on thedevelopment of positive discipline in two contexts(a) the whole staff working together to revise the school policies, rules and handbook, and(b) the details of implementing a positive discipline programme entitled ‘The Positive Learning Programme’ with one year group.

Conclusion

This chapter presented a brief summary of some of the key aspects in the firstphase of the development of a new discipline policy. It charted the movementfrom the beginnings of an idea through the establishment of a group-basedinvestigation to the adoption of an Action Research-based initialimplementation strategy. The focus of the next two chapters will switch to theimplementation of a new policy of discipline on both a whole school and anindividual year group basis.


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Chapter Three – The Development of Curam:A Whole School Experience

1. Summary

Introduction

Chapter Two looked at how a plan of implementation was decided on, andhow the initial stages of drawing up a programme developed. This chapterlooks at how this process was continued on a whole school basis. Theapproach in this school was named “Curam” (meaning care), a name whichsought to set the whole idea in the context of the traditions of personaldevelopment and caring holistically for the pupil that have been at the heart ofthe Irish education system. A number of key stages in the implementation canbe identified and are summarised below.

Stage 1: Consulting others: Bringing in an external facilitator

At the end of the first stage of drawing up an implementation plan, it is oftenthe case that all involved feel the need for alternative input to either re-energise the group as a whole or to act as a devil’s advocate, questioningwhat has gone on up to that stage. This is what happened in this particularschool. The working group established felt the need for a new voice andchose to invite an external facilitator with a background in discipline (Dr.Adrian Smith) to work with them and the whole staff. Bringing in an outsideexpert can therefore be seen to have three key functions:

1. To provide a fresh voice and insight

2. To draw the process together

3. To present the work engaged in to date to the whole school community

The way the day is structured is up to the facilitator, although arguably itshould include the following:

• An investigation of the personal philosophy of discipline of each memberof staff

• An exploration of how the school as an organisation views discipline

• An examination of the key elements of a “positive” approach to learning

• A decision as to future action steps


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As can be seen from the above, many of the issues dealt with could be (andmaybe should be) addressed at the beginning of any process. There are nofirm rules about this, but the experience of this school suggested that a ‘timeout’ in the middle of a process can be good. As one of the participants put it:

The nature of large institutions is that every now and again theyneed a kick start to remind them about innovation and get theenergy going again. It’s natural because we are so overworkedthat we have to be reminded and enthused every now andagain.

Perhaps the most important part of any external input is the decision as tofuture action steps. In this case the steps agreed included the following:

• Setting up debriefing sessions for the whole staff to examine school rules.

• Deciding to redraft the school handbook in the light of the insightsgenerated during the whole process.

• Rewriting school rules in a positive manner.

• Discussing these rules with the key stakeholders.

• Introducing the programme on a whole school basis.

The external input was considered a great success. One of the participantsstated that:

I think at that point it became far more collaborative becauseother staff were invited to an open day. And almost withoutrealising it people had taken on board the concept of looking atdiscipline in a positive way and drawing up rules, sanctions andrewards.

Stage 2: Getting it all in writing: Redrafting the schoolhandbook

Most Irish schools have a school handbook which seeks to summarise theschool’s philosophy and aspirations in an accessible and useful way. One ofthe key sections in any handbook is that dealing with discipline. Because thepositive approach to discipline seeks to change not only the external signs ofthe school’s approach to the issue of discipline but also the underlyingphilosophy, it is important that any handbooks be rewritten to take account ofthis.

In this particular school, two individuals were given the task of rewriting thedocument and presenting it to the staff as a whole. Alternatively, a groupcould be set up to examine the document and suggest changes or severalgroups established, each charged with looking at a particular section of the


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handbook. Whichever approach is chosen, the key issue is that the writtenstatement of what the school believes in must be changed as this is the majorsource of reference for all members of the school community.

It is an interesting aside to this issue that given the strong pastoral carephilosophy underlying the original school handbook, many of the supposedlynew ideas being suggested by the positive approach were already present inthe document. This may be a common experience for Irish schools whenlooking at this approach to discipline. It draws from a common set of ideasabout the broader purpose of school and education and as such it is not arevolutionary way of looking at discipline but more of an evolutionary process.

Stage 3: Letting everybody know what is going on: Meetingthe whole staff

Throughout any change process, and particularly one that is concerned withan issue as important as discipline, it is essential that good lines ofcommunication be established between all the groups involved. The wayGreendale Community School chose to do this was to have staff meetingscalled to disseminate the ideas and suggestions being made by the variousresearch projects. These meetings proved very useful as they allowed thewhole school to comment, criticise and add to what was going on and gavepeople a sense of ownership of the process.

At the end of the process a set of rules, sanctions and rewards was agreed -the final step in drawing up an implementation strategy.

As a general principle, it is essential that all key stakeholders be consultedduring any process like this. Leaving people out for the sake of speed or anyother reason usually proves to be a short-lived success. Issues need to bebrought out into the open and discussed, criticisms accepted and alternativesproposed.

As an alternative to the whole school meetings adopted here, subject foramight be used to allow this consultation process to develop.

The experience of this school would suggest that you should clarify two issuesin relation to this consultation process from the beginning, i.e.

1. Who is to lead or facilitate it?

2. Are you prepared to let the process of implementation take slightly longerin order to bring everybody along?

If the answer to question 2 above is ‘Yes’, you might at this stage think ofdeveloping a flexible timeframe which looks at the goals and doesn’tnecessarily tie them down to a particular time.


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Stage 4: Getting everything up and running: Implementing apositive discipline approach

There were a number of key events in the implementation process:

1. The production of laminated posters with the agreed rules, sanctions andrewardsThese posters were produced for display around the whole school andwere to be the most visible reminder of the new approach.

2. The distribution of an explanatory packIn this particular school, an explanatory pack entitled “Curam” wasproduced and distributed to all teachers. This pack explained in detail thenew approach to discipline being introduced and as such acted as asummary of work to date. It also provided all teachers with a key referencepoint in the event of confusion during the implementation of theprogramme.

3. The holding of class meetingsBecause pupils were seen as being key stakeholders in this newapproach, class meetings were held to explain what was going on and toget their reactions. These meetings were organised by form tutors andproved very helpful in ironing out issues. In addition, the students weregiven the opportunity to rewrite or rephrase the rules for their ownclassroom. While the main thrust of the rule didn’t change, quite often thelanguage used to express it did. This proved to be extremely successfuland allowed students to take ownership of the new rules, a keyrequirement of the positive approach.

4. The consultation of parentsAny change to how a school is run is going to concern parents. Ratherthan allowing them to find out about the changes piecemeal, it is better tokeep them informed from the beginning. The way chosen to inform them inthis instance was in a series of meetings based on year groups. At thesemeetings, the approach was explained and the implications for theirchildren spelt out. As a result of this, there was a large amount of supportfor the new approach in the home - a key element in its success.

5. The formal launchAny new process needs a launch. People need to feel that what they areembarking on is important and exciting. The launch can take a number offorms, i.e.- an announcement over an intercom system at the beginning of a day explaining what will happen- a school assembly fulfilling the same function- class meetings organised by Year Heads or class tutors, etc.


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What is important is that a sense of occasion is created and that peoplerealise that this is an important day!

Stage 5: How did it all go: The evaluation

This is perhaps the most important part of any process, yet it is the one thatoften doesn’t happen. After the euphoria of a launch it is often presumed thatthings will continue on with minimal maintenance. However it is essential thatwe check to see how things are going. There are a number of ways of doingthis:

• Informally (chatting, observing, discussing with colleagues)

• Using a questionnaire to gauge people’s reactions

• Interviewing key individuals in relation to their attitudes

• Using subject fora to summarise people’s response to what has beenimplemented

• Holding a whole staff meeting to assess the impact of the change

• Bringing in an external facilitator to allow the staff to reflect on what hashappened

Again, the issue here is not only what happened but how that has affectedpeople’s attitudes to the process and where they think it should go next. Thisshould naturally lead to the next stage, the replanning and the development ofan even better programme.

Again, how this is done is up to individual schools.

• An individual might be given responsibility for co-ordinating the school’sapproach to discipline. This might even become a post of responsibility.

• The original (or indeed a new) working group might meet regularly onissues related to discipline.

• Subject groups might take over responsibility for the process of evaluationand replanning for their own particular area.

Whatever the decision, the key thing is that the re-examination take place andthe conclusions be fed back into the process.


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2. Discussion

The process of implementation: The development of Curam

The previous chapter explained the steps which led to the decision by aworking group of teachers within a particular school community to explorealternative approaches to discipline which might be relevant to their ownprofessional experience. By the end of this phase of the process, a philosophyof discipline drawing on the insights of the ‘positive approach’ was adoptedand a strategy for its implementation using an Action Research method wasdesigned. This chapter provides an account of this implementation strategywhich was officially entitled ‘Curam’ and how it was implemented on a wholeschool level. This will be followed in the next chapter by an account of animplementation strategy that could be used with an individual year group. It isimportant to note that these chapters should be viewed as beingcomplementary despite their consecutive presentation. The process ofimplementation described here took place in a number of stages. They wereas follows:

1. Input from an external facilitator

2. The redrafting of the school handbook

3. The process of consultation and revision in a whole staff setting

4. Programme implementation: The introduction of Curam

5. Programme evaluation

These stages will now be described and a brief analysis of each provided.

Input from an external facilitator

The previous chapter described the key role played by the working group inthe formation of a policy of discipline and beginning the process of itsimplementation. By the end of this phase, it was decided that the focus of theprocess had to be broadened in order to formally include the rest of the schoolstaff. The vehicle chosen for involving the rest of the staff was a one dayworkshop facilitated by an expert with a background in the area of alternativeapproaches to discipline. It was decided to approach Adrian Smith, anindividual with extensive experience in promoting new approaches todiscipline within schools in the United Kingdom.

The facilitation input took the form of a one day workshop involving the wholeschool staff. The topics covered in the course of this workshop included:


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• An investigation of the teachers’ personal philosophy of discipline

• An exploration of the school’s philosophy of discipline

• An investigation of the key elements of Discipline for Learning (Smith,1994)

• A decision as to future action steps

The range and extensive focus of the future action steps decided during thisday indicate the initial success of the facilitator’s input. At the end of the day,the school had committed itself to the development of an initialimplementation strategy for the whole school discipline programme. Thestrategy consisted of the following:

1. The facilitation of post-seminar debriefing sessions to discuss thereappraisal of school rules.

2. The redrafting of the school handbook in the light of insights generatedfrom the above consultation process.

3. The discussion of rules with key stakeholders: pupils and parents.

4. The rewriting of school rules in a positive manner.

5. The introduction of a new discipline policy based on the discussionsdetailed above.

The facilitator performed a number of key roles in the development of thisprocess. Perhaps most importantly he acted as a conduit for the disciplineworking group to inform the rest of the staff about their work. In this way hewas one of the prime initiators of the process that ultimately led to thedevelopment of the whole school positive discipline programme, Curam. Oneof the researchers summarises his impact in this area as follows:

I think at that point it became far more collaborative becauseother staff were invited to an open day. And almost withoutrealising it, people had taken on board the concept of looking atdiscipline in a positive way and drawing up rules, sanctions andrewards.

In this way the facilitator’s role in the process could be likened to that of thechange agent or change co-ordinator explored by Handy (1981). Changeagents are seen as individuals who can speed up the change process by thefact of his or her position or expertise. Reeves (1991) suggests that if usedproperly, the input of the external change agent can be used as a key factor inbroadening the scope and ownership of any change innovation.


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This stage of the process was very important in that it represented the firstattempt of the working group to broaden the focus of their discussions toformally include other staff members. This process of 'mainstreaming' is oftenthe most difficult in a co-ordinating group’s life as it involves letting go of someof the control they had enjoyed from the beginning of the process. It is,however, a key issue in programme implementation and one which has to bedealt with successfully if the programme is to develop in a genuinelycollaborative manner.

In broad terms, this success could be attributed to the unique position Smithoccupied. Because of his status as an outsider he was able to get anobjective overview of a change process in action and hone in on those areasthat required remedial action.

In terms of programme implementation strategies, there seems to be adefinite role for external change agents as process invigorators. It is essentialthat this process of re-commitment and re-enthusing happen during aninnovation, particularly when the innovation is happening in a relatively largeorganisation such as a school.

Change agents are not miracle workers, however. They cannot change thefundamental culture of an organisation in one day or one week. Anyimplementation strategy which requires them to do so will almost certainly runinto trouble. Greendale Community School is a case in point. Despite theapparent success of the change agent’s input, the hoped for transition of theprogramme from the working group to the whole school did not happen withinthe timeframe first envisaged. When the initial euphoria had worn off, furtherconsultation regarding the nature and timing of the new programme had to beengaged in and extensive restructuring occurred.

A general implementation issue here seems to revolve around the timing ofthe external change agent’s input. There appears to be a definite role forexternal change agents as the initiator of a process. Quite often the externalchange agent is brought in at the beginning of the programme to overcomethe in-built resistance to change in most human institutions (Handy, 1985). Inthat sense, his or her presence acts as a catalyst for the organisation andforces it to move from a position of comfort and stillness to one of challengeand newness. The proviso attached to this is that a structure or at very least apotential structure must be available in the organisation to take advantage oftheir often charismatic input.

Their use as potential bridges between two phases of a programme is a littlemore problematic. The danger of hostility from the staff is far greater,particularly if they have had some negative experiences as a result of thechange initiated. That said, they still have an important role to play in such asituation, provided that the team or individual involved in co-ordinating the


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process briefs and debriefs the other members of the organisation about hisinput.

Of course this dynamic cannot guarantee success. Despite the extensivedebriefing process engaged in by the working group following the workshop,some problems remained which were to cause difficulties in the later stages ofimplementation. These issues will be discussed later in this chapter.

The redrafting of the school handbook

In the period following the workshop, the lists of rules, rewards and sanctionsdrawn up by the school community over the course of the day were taken bythe working group and collated. When this was completed

a group of parents was invited to look at lists of rules, rewardsand sanctions drawn up by the staff and the rationale behind theapproach was explained....A questionnaire was (then) distributed to 150 students from allyear groups to assess their reactions to the emergingprogramme and to give them some input into ordering the lists inorder of priority

(Mulcahy, 1997, p. 27).

At the end of this process, two of the working group undertook to redraft thestaff handbook, incorporating many of the principles and suggestions that hadarisen during the consultation process. This was seen by the Principal as thefinal phase of

getting a more coherent policy together.

As is the case in many Irish schools, this staff handbook summarises thegeneral philosophy of Greendale Community School and its attitude to issuessuch as discipline. The school community was expected to view the handbookas a

document (which) represents a corporate policy and individualteachers are expected to adhere to that policy by strictimplementation of regulations and procedures (Handbook, p. 1).

It is important to emphasise that this handbook was produced in line with therecommendations made by the staff and as such should be seen as anattempt to create a truly collaborative document.

The handbook itself sought to emphasise the continuity of the new system,demonstrating that it was the logical successor of the old one. Thedemonstration of this continuity was greatly helped by the long-standingcommitment in Greendale to the concept of pastoral care. This commitment isshared by many Irish schools and is one that sees the complete developmentof the individual as being the ultimate goal of education. The school handbookplaced the teachers’ understanding of the nature and purpose of the new


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discipline approach firmly within this context. This view underpins the entireCuram programme and draws heavily from the school’s ongoing commitmentto

the development of responsible autonomy and self-disciplinewhich will enrich the student’s life and facilitate the developmentof his full potential.

(Handbook, p. 9).

Interestingly this quotation is drawn not from the section dealing with positivediscipline but from that dealing with pastoral care.

The centrality of the pastoral care philosophy and structure to thedevelopment of the positive discipline programme is widely acknowledgedthroughout the staff. One of the researchers states that in her opinion, theprogramme took a positive approach because so many people were involvedin pastoral care.

Another stated that

the emphasis on the positive approach advocated ... would bebroadly in line with pastoral care which favours a proactiveapproach to student behaviour and emphasises the overalldevelopment of the student.

The staff handbook states that

the term pastoral care describes a philosophy of caring for theoverall welfare of the student and ideally it should permeate allinteraction between students and staff.

(Handbook, p. 8).

Indeed, according to one teacher’s recollection, it was a perceived breakdownin the positive pupil/staff relationship at the heart of the pastoral care systemthat led to the initial impetus to look at alternative discipline models. As sherecalled,

whereas pastoral care had always been seen to be at the coreof the school’s philosophy and was very much part of the school,teachers did feel they were reacting negatively. And that's thebackground to it (the programme).

Accepting the argument of Munn, Chalmers and Johnstone (1992) that theview of the pupil affects how discipline is operationalised, the fact that anamount of negativity was creeping into the pupil/teacher relationship wasindicative of an alteration in the staff’s perception of the pupils. This, in turn,suggested to some that there was a danger of the school losing sight of someof its core beliefs. Therefore at an organisational level, the interest in positivediscipline grew from a desire on the part of certain sections of the teachingcommunity to maintain and develop the ethos of concern for student growthand development that had guided the school over the previous 20 years.


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It is, therefore, not surprising that the original working group drew heavily fromthe pastoral care structure, having

the Chairperson of the group committed to the concept ofPastoral Care as both Yearhead and Tutor. Two other membersof the group were also Yearheads and the remaining werecurrently or had been tutors within the system.

(Mulcahy, 1997, pp. 25-26).

Neither is it surprising that the author of the staff handbook consciouslyattempted to identify the emerging positive discipline programme with theexisting pastoral care approach. The positive discipline approach waspresented as

a new approach which encompasses our existing policy ofPastoral Care

(Handbook, p. 8).

This identification of the positive discipline approach with the pastoral caresystem is central to the organisation’s commitment to dealing with disciplinaryproblems in a positive manner. The positive discipline approach has nowbeen accorded the same status as the pastoral care system. As the pastoralcare system encapsulated the basic ethos of the school, by association thepositive discipline system can be seen as being at the core of that ethos.

In addition to locating the new approach in the philosophy underlying theschool’s approach to education, the new handbook also sought todemonstrate its relevance to the everyday experience of teachers andparents. It states

most parents and teachers would agree that children respondbetter to encouragement than to punishment. We recognise badbehaviour and respond to it in a negative way. On the otherhand, when children behave well we do not respond becausewe expect them to behave well. So as teachers we spend a lotof our time correcting the misbehaviour of a few but in thepositive classroom we must also acknowledge good behaviour.Thus, positive teaching concentrates on “catching children doingthe right thing” and reinforcing them accordingly. Incentiveswhich will serve as positive reinforcements for the students arevery important in the positive teaching approach. It is acceptedin families, schools and society at large that rules are needed forthe guidance of members. So rules are made that are negativein tone but positive teachers make their rules positive andenabling. Positive rules define what should be done rather thanwhat should not be done. The rules are enabling “try to do this”rather than “do not do this”. If a student chooses to break a rulehe/she must accept that there are consequences resulting from


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this behaviour. The sanctions are clearly defined and applieduniformly by all teachers so that equity is maintained at all times.

This emphasis on the connection between the practical experience of theteacher and the new programme of discipline being provided proved to bevery significant later in the process.

This phase of the implementation process was important insofar as it markedthe first effort of the school community to codify its understanding of the newapproach to discipline that it was being asked to adopt. As a first effort it washighly successful in recording the feelings of the staff in the periodimmediately following the workshop day. It also provided its authors with anopportunity to consult the other key stakeholders in the process, parents andstudents, and to include their input in the final document.

In addition, the document provided a focus for wider staff reflection in thesubsequent months, a period of reflection that led to some disagreements,much consultation, substantial re-writing, and ultimately the Curam pack. It isto this period of consultation that we now turn.

The process of consultation and revision in a whole staffsetting

The first period of consultation, as detailed above, involved the discussionsurrounding the production of the staff handbook. This phase of the processwas completed before a holiday period. The expectation was that on returnthe process would be continued from that point and a new discipline policyintroduced. It was decided that responsibility for the introduction of this policywould be given to the teacher researcher responsible for the project dealingwith whole school issues entitled “The Theatre of Daylight” (Mulcahy, 1997).

This member of staff returned in the post-holiday period with the newhandbook assuming that this was to form the basis for a new school disciplinepolicy. However on producing the handbook, she found that

what had appeared to be general agreement from all the staffturned out to be far from reality.

The researcher identified the desire on the part of the staff as a whole to begiven

more time and space to work on the programme(Mulcahy, 1997, p. 31)

as being a key requirement in any attempt to implement the positive approachto discipline developed over the previous year. There was a strong feeling onthe part of the staff that they were just not ready for the programme as it wasconstituted. In the researcher’s opinion


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it became obvious that if the school was serious aboutcollaboration, teachers must be given the opportunity to talk, toplan, to design.

In other words, they must be consulted. The initial phase of this consultationtook nearly five months and four staff meetings before the entire staff wasprepared to introduce the programme.

The researcher explained the rationale behind the decision to engage in suchan intense collaborative process as follows:

… collaboration could prove unpredictable. Yet the school wascommitted to allowing teachers discretion and control over whatwould be developed and the Principal had given his support.

A number of issues emerged in this period. Of particular importance at thisstage was the problem of what to do with the school’s detention policy whichdid not seem to fit into the new approach. Other issues which emerged duringthis period included the following:

• The problem of universal application

• The issue of rewards

• The school environment

• Serious misbehaviour

• Self-monitoring by students

The forum for these discussions were staff meetings organised by theresearcher with the backing of the Principal. That this was not an ideal forumwas freely admitted by the researcher:

.. it was extremely difficult to organise whole staff meetings dueto time constraints so there were frustrating, long delays at timeswhen communication was vital.

Whatever about the difficulties associated with finding an acceptable meetinglocation, it should be acknowledged that the policy of negotiation andconsultation was a success. At the end of the extensive period of consultation,the teaching body as a whole reached a compromise which encompassed allof the contentious issues detailed above and made a unanimous commitmentto implement the new programme to the best of their abilities.

A number of significant issues arose in the course of this phase of theprocess. The first to arise was that of the complexity surrounding the use of acollaborative process. The collaborative process normally greatly increasesthe amount of time it takes to implement any programme. The participantresearcher involved in facilitating the project warned as to these difficulties:


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it's a very difficult process. We are all professionals. We are allequal as professionals. Each of us has an entitlement to ourvoice in our particular situation, and this delays a process. It's amessy enough process. And you would need to point out tosome people in advance, these are some of the things that canhappen as a result of the process. Don't expect instant solutions,don't expect that this will be up and running in a matter ofweeks. And you need somebody with great patience to takecontrol of it, and to lead it.

The problems are clearly enumerated:

1. You are dealing with professionals of equal status. Each has a right to beheard and most have a view to air.

2. There are no instant solutions in a process like this. It must be allowed togrow over a period of months or years if needs be.

3. Anybody taking a leadership role in such a process will need greatpatience and personal resources.

This view of the time-consuming nature of the process is echoed by anotherof the teachers. She pointed out that

I think when you do try to include all groups consistently,parents, teachers, students, different concerns arise every timeso you have to go back on that one before you proceed further... and I think that because there was an attempt to have asmuch consultation as possible, to include people, the processbecame a lengthy one.

Any commitment to use this type of programme structure must recognise this.Some writers suggest that one way to factor this into the implementationphase of a programme is to develop a flexible plan without set time goals.This argument suggests that it is best to focus on actions rather than datesand to view the emergence of consensus in any timeframe as the ultimatesuccess criterion of the project (Taylor & Singer, 1983).

A further implementation issue suggested by this phase concerned the properforum for staff consultation. This dissatisfaction was also expressed by theparticipant researcher co-ordinating the process. An interesting analysis of thereason for this dissatisfaction was suggested by the Principal.

He felt that by making the issue of discipline the primary focus of a wholeschool meeting, they were setting it apart. In this situation he suggested that

when you take discipline out and treat it as a discrete topic thereis a bit of resistance.


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Instead he advocated the use of subject fora as a location for discussions ondiscipline. They have the advantage of making people feel more comfortableabout discussing the issues surrounding the topic, particularly those whomight feel uncomfortable with the issue. In his opinion

… in the subject area there is an implied suggestion thateffectiveness in teaching that subject is achieved through theexchange of methodologies. This exchange of ideas is part ofthe subject specialisms and therefore more acceptable ... So Iactually think that a subject department may be a way to go.

A further issue of interest here concerned the transition from a group-directedimplementation process to one dominated by a single individual. A number offactors contributed to this development. Perhaps the most important was theinability of the Principal to continue facilitating the working group’s timetablerequests. As this happened quite abruptly at the beginning of a new schoolyear, there was no formal opportunity to end the group and prepare for atransition to another stage. The importance of the proper facilitation of thisphase is widely acknowledged in the relevant literature. McLaughlin (1991)suggests that a formal review of the achievements, successes andexperiences of the group is essential if they are to make a successfultransition beyond the group. In the context of the group in question, the lack offormal ending could be seen as having contributed to the situation where theimplementation of a whole school programme was left largely to one person,hardly an ideal situation.

The de facto adoption of the leadership role by an individual teacher also hadsome other implementation implications. This transition in leadership focus, aswe have seen, happened almost by accident. The leadership style chosen bythis individual was non-directive and indeed communicative by nature. Whilemany appreciated this style, there were some who felt that it left theprogramme without a visible figurehead.

From the perspective of implementation, the style of leadership adopted andthe role played by the traditional sources of organisational authority are keypoints which must be addressed before the process is undertaken.

Ultimately this was the stage of the programme where the staff as a wholetook ownership of the process. While it is important to acknowledge the time ittook to fully consult the staff, it is probable that without this period ofconsultation the programme would not have been as successful. The nextstage of this chapter will look at the actual implementation of the programme.

Programme implementation: The introduction of Curam

In the period immediately following the end of the consultation period, theparticipant researcher, in conjunction with the other members of the disciplineworking group, decided to initiate the process of producing materials for


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distribution around the school. The first materials to be produced were aseries of laminated A3 size posters displaying the lists of rules, sanctions andrewards which were produced from the original consultations with the staff,students and parents (See Resource Documents 1-4 on pages 53 to 56). Thedecision to begin with the rules was deliberate. The positive disciplineprogramme sought to encourage students to take control of their ownbehaviour by involving them in the process of deciding what was appropriatebehaviour and why. This process sought to remove the air of arbitrarinesssurrounding school rules and to replace it with a general atmosphere ofunderstanding as to their general purpose and necessity.

In addition, in order to draw together the many issues that had emerged overthe previous months, the co-ordinating participant researcher developed aninformation pack

outlining the philosophy behind the programme and containing asample sheet to monitor class behaviour, a detention sheet andA4 size versions of the posters.

This was delivered personally to each staff member and explained by theresearcher.

It was decided to formally entitle the programme ‘Curam’ to emphasise the caring,nurturing nature of the programme (Mulcahy, 1997). Full implementationbegan at this stage and included the following:

1. The displaying of posters listing rules, rewards and sanctions in allclassrooms around the school.

2. Parental briefing through letters and school-based meetings.

Teachers were supplied with classroom behaviour sheets and asked to recordthe relevant discipline details for each student on them. These sheets werethen to be used as the basis for deciding the allocation of rewards andsanctions. For the most part teachers were happy with the programme as itwas implemented.

This part of programme implementation is dealt with in great detail in ChapterFour and for this reason only a brief account of and introduction to theprocess is presented here.

The final stage of this process of implementation was an extensive evaluationconducted in the final stages of the school year. It is to this evaluation that wewill now turn.


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Programme evaluation

The process of evaluation engaged in took the form of a series of interviewswith a number of key informants and a request that some time be given overat regular subject department meetings to discuss the programme. Thisprocess resulted in a variety of research findings, some of which aresummarised here.

In general there was support for the programme: there was anacknowledgement on the part of most staff that the programme wasunderstood by both staff and students. Some teachers acknowledged achange in their teaching style as a result of the programme

… that included being more organised, being aware of theprogramme and seeing the teaching of the class in the sense ofreceiving and passing the baton.

(Mulcahy, 1997, p. 38).

Students also saw the value of the programme in general and felt that thesystem emphasised the positive aspects of their everyday activity.

Parental response was also generally favourable. Parents made a series ofcomments on the suitability of different aspects of the programme, inparticular those dealing with the physical appearance of the school as a wholeand the importance of instilling a sense of self-respect and respect for othersin students. On a more general level, they expressed their satisfaction atbeing consulted about the programme and requested to be allowed remaininvolved in the future.

The recommendations of the project were many and varied. Among the moresignificant ones were a call for the consideration of a two stageimplementation of the programme beginning with the junior school, thedevelopment of a working party within the school to monitor the ongoingimplementation of the project and the request for an additional in-serviceprovision in the current school year. On a broader level, there was a call forthe wider dissemination of the project as an exemplar for other schools in lightof the recommendations of Martin’s (1997) report.

The role of the wider research project is clear throughout. In many ways, thisAction Research programme drew together the different issues that emergedfrom the first year of the programme and sought to operationalise them on awhole school setting. The working group continued to have an inputthroughout the project’s implementation, acting in both a formal and informaladvisory capacity to the researcher. Many of the insights emerging from thestudent teacher reflection programme and tightly focused disciplineprogramme were fed into this particular project. There was a strong feeling onthe part of the co-ordinating participant researcher that this project drewtogether the four projects at a conceptual level. She felt that


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the philosophy underpinning the four areas of research wouldhave been very similar and would have had a very strongrelationship between them.

Conclusion

The process of implementation presented here appears to be quite complexbut has at its heart a number of key principles.

1. Firstly, any process aimed at changing a policy as important as that ofdiscipline must be collaborative in nature if it is to have any chance ofsuccess. While this may be time-consuming it is ultimately the onlyguarantee of success.

2. Secondly, an outside facilitator has the potential to play a key part inenergising staff and communicating the key ideas of a new process.However, an outside involvement cannot alone ensure the success of aprocess, this must come from the school community engaging in thechange.

3. Thirdly, the production of universally accessible support documentation isof particular importance as is gives participants an opportunity to reflect onwhat has been proposed and to clarify their thinking around certain keyissues.

4. Finally, as in all novel situations, evaluation is a key part of the process.Without an evaluation, change becomes action for action’s sake and theinsights generated are never formally fed back into the process, thuslosing many key factors which could ensure its continued success.

By the end of this stage of the process, Greendale Community School haddeveloped a body of information which was tailored to meet the specific needsof the school in the area of discipline as perceived by the staff, students andparents. The materials developed included

1. A revised school handbook which summarised the key elements of thepositive discipline approach for the staff and students.

2. A series of laminated posters containing details of the new school rules,rewards and sanctions which could be distributed and displayedthroughout the school. These posters were made in different sizes andwere brightly coloured. This was a deliberate decision to ensure that allmembers of the school community, parents, teachers, administrative andsupport staff and pupils were aware of the new approach to disciplinebeing adopted.

3. A mechanism for informing parents about the changes in the approach todiscipline.


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Greendale Community School

Classroom Rules

• Do all work to the best of your ability

• Enter and leave the classroom in aquiet and orderly fashion

• Sit at assigned desk and take outyour journal and all other classrequirements

• Allow other students to work withoutinterruption or distraction

• Raise your hand and wait quietly foryour teacher’s attention if you have aquestion or comment

Resource document 1 Classroom Rules


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Around School Rules

• Remain on school premises at alltimes

• You may only leave the premiseswith the permission of the Principalor Vice Principal or Year Head

• Put litter in bins provided

• Walk at all times when in the schoolbuilding

• Follow all other school rulesResource document 2 Around School Rules


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Individual Student Rewards

• Positive written comment to parentseither in journal or at end of a pieceof work

• Verbal praise

• Computer time

• Positive comment to Year Head/Tutor

• Credit system: e.g. positive stickers,stamps in journal

• Positive letter home

• Record of achievements in journal

• Lunch time televisionResource document 3 Individual Student Rewards


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Class Rewards

• Reduced homework on an agreednight

• Subject related games

• Positive comment toYear Head/Principal/Vice Principal

• Trips of an educational nature

• Class prizes

• Work exhibited

• VideosResource document 4 Classroom Rewards


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Chapter Four – The Positive LearningProgramme

1. Summary

Introduction

This chapter will provide a summary of the three year development cycle ofthe Positive Learning Programme (PLP). The PLP was designed to be usedwith students in a single year group, and the development cycle undertaken inthis particular case followed a group of pupils from First Year until thecompletion of their Junior Certificate. Because the development was cyclical,there were some dead ends and the process was constantly refined over theperiod. In order to make the material presented here more immediatelyrelevant, the summary provided will combine the insights of the three yearsand present them in a single year implementation guide. Some of thedifficulties that arose during the process as well as some suggestions foralternative ways of implementing such a process will be presented at the endof the summary.

Implementing a Positive Learning Programme

A note on chronology:It is suggested that the process detailed below begin in the first two to threeweeks of term.

The first stage in any attempt to implement a new approach to discipline is toinform the key stakeholders in the school that the change is to take place. Inaddition, each of the stakeholders must agree with and fully understand thenew approach being proposed. As we have seen in previous chapters, awhole school approach requires a great deal of consultation among teachers,parents and pupils. Implementation at an individual year group level requiresconsultation among the same groups although on a necessarily smaller scale.In this particular school, the process of informing and agreeing was completedin a series of action steps which will be detailed below.

Action Step 1: Briefing your colleagues

It is assumed that the implementation of a new approach to discipline on ayear group level will be done with the active support and encouragement of allteachers who meet this year group. In order to facilitate the acceptance of thenew approach, colleagues must be made aware of what is expected of them.It is recommended that the briefing take the following form:


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1. A general meeting for all participating staff - this has the benefit of allowingstaff to question and seek clarification regarding their role in the newprogramme. In addition, it allows them to see that you value their input andare prepared to act on useful suggestions and inputs.

2. Provision of a resource document to all interested colleagues - thisdocument should contain all relevant charts and briefing material as wellas a rationale for the programme.

3. The establishment of a clearly defined process for communicating issuesor concerns that arise in the course of the implementation process - it isrecommended that a single teacher responsible for implementing theprogramme take responsibility for this.

In this particular school, the proper briefing of teachers greatly enhanced theultimate success of the programme as different teachers were able toreinforce the importance of the new approach across a wide range of subjectdisciplines.

Action Step 2: Year group assembly

A year group assembly was found to be the most effective way of providingboth pupils and teachers with a clear summary of the key points of the PLP.The assembly was organised for the second week in term and was held in theschool library. Specific preparations were made before the assembly toensure that the maximum amount of attention was paid to the newprogramme. The preparations included:

• Ensuring that there was sufficient seating for all students in the room

• Ensuring that there was an overhead projector and screen present

• Having all key documents on overhead transparencies so that they couldbe explained to all present

• Having a copy of each document for all students present

In addition, the researcher decided to videotape the assembly. This was donefor a number of reasons:

• It recorded the beginning of the project

• It added to the students’ interest and involvement

• It created an atmosphere of attention at the assembly

• It was the students’ first introduction to a medium which was to be usedthroughout the project as a recording mechanism


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Particular attention should be paid at this stage to the following:

• Explaining the central ideas of the school’s approach to discipline to bothteachers and pupils. In this school, for example, the importance of

− classroom behaviour− attendance− homework− punctualitywas emphasised.

• Setting out a timetable for implementation of the new programme andmaking people aware of the next stages to be undertaken.

• Enthusing people by explaining the rewards to be gained by adhering tothe new rules!

Action Step 3: The Classroom Behaviour Agreement

An important first step after the year group meeting is the arranging of anindividual class meeting for all participating classes. In this class meeting, thespecific behaviour requirements expected of each student should beexplained and discussed. It is assumed that issues dealt with will include:

− Behaviour expected while entering the class− Equipment expected for each class− Information on how to ask questions and deal with other students− Acceptable movement around the classroom, etc.

This information should be summarised in a ‘Classroom BehaviourAgreement’ (Resource document 5 on page 85) and students should then be

1. Presented with a copy of the agreement setting out clearly the type ofbehaviour that is expected of them in class.

2. Allowed an opportunity to question and discuss the document.

3. Provided with an opportunity to sign the document.

Particular emphasis should at this stage be placed on the rewards that willaccrue if students adhere to the agreement. During the discussion phase,students can be given the opportunity to change the phrasing or order ofindividual rules, although not the general thrust.

When a final document is agreed, the teacher should

• Staple a copy into each student’s journal

• Explain again the reasoning behind each point


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• Request that students sign the agreement

For the remainder of that particular week, teachers should reinforce theimportance of the agreement by referring to it during class and using it as aguide in the event of any indiscipline.

Action Step 4: Homework Agreement

A ‘Homework Agreement’ (see Resource document 6 on page 86) should beintroduced in the week following that of the Classroom Behaviour Agreement.The Homework Agreement should deal with issues such as

− the proper recording of homework− presentation of homework− preparation of equipment and books for each school day, etc.

It is recommended that the process of implementation follow that of theClassroom Behaviour Agreement.

Action Step 5: Informing parents

Given the increasingly important role being played by parents in schoolstoday, it is essential to keep them informed at all stages of the programme’sdevelopment. Because of the equation in many people’s minds betweensanctions and discipline, a programme that relies on rewards rather thansanctions needs to be explained and continually clarified. In the case of thisprogramme, parental support was strong throughout and played a significantrole in the success of the programme.

Methods for involving parents include the following:

• Organising parent teacher meetings at individual year group level

• Sending out explanatory notes detailing major points of the newprogramme

• Sending out an explanatory pack containing all documents provided toteachers and pupils

Monitoring Behaviour

Action Step 1: Producing charts, award sheets and certificates

Given the centrality of the class chart and the personal award sheets andcertificates, it is recommended that some time be spent on their design. Theprocess can be helped by the following:


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• Including different subject departments in their design for example Art,Computers, Technical Drawing, etc.

• Running a competition among students to design the most appropriateformat for each

• Having the completed formats professionally printed (depending on theresources available)

In addition, the class chart should be made of a material that can be safelycarried around the school for most of the school year, while at the same timesurviving the rigours of such an existence.

Action Step 2: Ensuring continued staff co-operation

One potential area of difficulty for the continued implementation ofprogrammes such as this is a potential lack of interest among staff. Thisbecomes a key issue when staff signatures form the basis of rewards andawards. It is suggested that:

1. Regular meetings of all staff involved in the programme’s implementationbe organised

2. Meetings of subject groups be used to discuss implementation issues

3. Pupils be encouraged to remind teachers of the continuing requirements ofthe programme

Action Step 3: Maintaining student interest

There is always a possibility that students may lose interest if there are noobvious signs of the new programme changing the way discipline issues aredealt with in the school. In order to ensure that this does not happen, it isrecommended that:

1. The teacher or group of teachers in charge of the process ensure that staffare implementing the programme consistently

2. All awards, etc. are publicly acknowledged within a short time of theirachievement

3. Awards and rewards are attractive

4. An area be set aside in the school where charts and details of thecompetition between the different classes can be recorded and publiclydisplayed. A dedicated notice board would be ideal.


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Action Step 4: Preventing unhealthy rivalry

Given that the programme contains a large element of inter-class competitionwithin a particular year group, there is always a possibility thatcompetitiveness could turn into unhealthy competition and in some extremecases bullying. The latter may occur when the behaviour of one particularstudent or group of students prevents a class from achieving a point at theend of a particular class. In order to prevent this:

1. A detailed briefing should be engaged in before the beginning of theprogramme specifically dealing with this issue

2. Regular monitoring should be engaged in by class tutors or subject tutors

3. Class meetings should be arranged to allow the class as a whole to tacklethe issue in a controlled manner. This method proved particularlysuccessful with the positive learning programme.

Action Step 5: Celebrating regularly and celebrating publicly

At the end of a set period, time should be set aside to acknowledge the workthat has been done to date. This might take the form of

• a short class meeting to explain the success of the previousweek/month/term

• a year group meeting at the end of a term to summarise that period’ssuccesses

• the awarding of small rewards throughout the process for conspicuousgood behaviour in any of the key areas

It is important to remember that, as with teachers, students need short-termwins.

Action Step 6: Different year - different focus

If the programme is to be introduced in a number of year groups, it may benecessary to modify the focus of the programme. Examples of this couldinclude:

• Year One - focusing on learning about the school, for example schoolrules, uniform code, homework policy, etc.

• Year Two - taking more individual responsibility, for example awardingpoints for project work, good personal attendance, etc.


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• Year Three - because this is usually Junior Certificate year and highlyacademically-focused, the programme may be used as a way toencourage other skills such as drama, sport, etc. or it may be used toacknowledge academic effort in different classes.

The PLP was devised for use with Junior cycle classes. Senior cycle may ormay not be considered an appropriate platform for such a programme.Arguably there need to be changes in the following:

• The way rewards and awards are calculated - the use of stars and chartswould probably not be appropriate.

• The type of rewards offered - rewards offering more autonomy may bemore appropriate at this level.

A system more individual rather than class-based might be more appropriatewith students opting to take part at a number of different levels.

Celebrating success

As has already been mentioned, it is vitally important to publicly celebrate theachievement of all students involved, whatever their level of compliance.

Possibly the best forum to do this in is a year group assembly. It isrecommended that the following be present:

• The Principal

• Senior staff members

• All staff teaching the year group

• (If possible) parent representatives

The physical location of the meeting should be the same as that of the firstmeeting and if possible a short excerpt of the video be replayed.

How the system works: Acknowledging and rewarding goodbehaviour

A key part of this approach to discipline is the public acknowledgement ofgood behaviour and the provision of some form of reward for that behaviour.The reward scheme for students adopted by the PLP made use of stars,charts and points in order to create a system that rewarded both individualgood behaviour and whole class behaviour. The precise workings of the starsand points will be explained later in this summary. At this stage it should,however, be noted that the relationship between the behaviour of the class as


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a whole and the attainment of individual rewards was made clear from thevery beginning of the process and was clarified throughout the three years ofthe PLP.

Element 1: Charts and stars

When devising the PLP, a great deal of thought was put into the issue of howto motivate pupils to maintain the standards of behaviour agreed bynegotiation and included in both a Classroom Behaviour Agreement and aHomework Agreement. After much consultation, a system that involved theproduction of student Personal Achievement Certificates, class charts and theuse of different types of stars was developed. The system worked in thefollowing manner:

• Each student was presented with a Personal Achievement Certificate (seeResource document 9 on page 89) which was stapled into the student’sjournal.

• A class progress chart (see Resource document 7 on page 87 andResource document 8 on page 88) was produced for each class. Thischart was A3 in size and mounted on cardboard.

• The chart had three labelled bars representing the key areas of classwork, behaviour and homework. Each bar had 45 individual sections whichwere taken to represent one point each. Teachers were asked to initial onesmall square for each period where they were satisfied with the effortmade by the class.

• If teachers were unhappy and therefore not awarding points, they wereasked to briefly explain why to the pupils.

• Only one point could be awarded in each of the bar charts per classperiod.

• When a class reached 45 points, the students received a star on theirPersonal Achievement Certificates.

The above system functioned very smoothly with one student volunteering tocarry the chart from class to class and all teachers co-operating with its use.

Element 2: Refining personal achievement certificates to personal awardsheets

In the course of the three year implementation, it was realised that a systemthat relied solely on whole class behaviour for determining individualachievement could not adequately acknowledge all good behaviour. Adecision was therefore made to include awards dealing with individual


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behaviour on the Personal Award Sheets. By the third year there were sevenaward categories:

1. A category dealing with preparation for the school year (possession ofschool books, uniform, etc.)

2. A category for personal attendance

3. A category for punctuality

4. A category containing the class achievements in class work, behaviourand homework

5. A category for personal completion of homework

6. A category for general awareness of others in the school community

7. A special category for students who are commended by teachers inindividual subjects

This combination of the class and the personal was considered to be the mosteffective way of acknowledging all relevant behaviours and of providing eachstudent with an opportunity to see their behaviour as a personal as well as acollective issue.

Element 3: From stars to rewards

There was an early realisation that while stars in themselves had someinherent value as a reward, there was a need to connect them with a tangiblebenefit. In the course of the programme’s development there were a numberof different types of rewards used including:

• The arrangement of school trips for classes who reached particular targets

• The provision of school materials (e.g. maths sets, etc.) to each individualin the best performing class of the year

• Organising early finishing times for classes who achieve weekly or monthlytargets

The rewards were entirely dependent on the number of points each student orclass amassed. By the third year of the programme, a scoring system wasdevised to give additional point value for the individual stars achieved. In thissystem,

• silver star = 2 points

• gold star = 5 points


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• individual certificate = 10 points

Students received rewards when they reached 75 points with all members ofthe most successful class at the end of the year receiving a prize.

Element 4: Certificates

In the course of the programme it was discovered that one of the mostsuccessful rewards of all was the formal presentation of certificates at the endof the school year. These certificates took a number of forms:

• Student Personal Achievement Certificates (see Resource document 9 onpage 89 and Resource document 12 on page 92)

• Certificates of Completion for each year (see Resource document 13 onpage 93 and Resource document 16 on page 96)

• Achievement Certificates – Attendance, Punctuality (see Resourcedocument 17 on page 97 and Resource document 18 and 98).

An essential part of the awarding of the certificates was the public celebrationof the presentation. The year group was again called together into anassembly and each student presented with an award by the Principal. Inaddition, some refreshments were provided and a sense of occasion created.Students tended to react very positively to the interest taken by all involved.

Conclusion

The above is a short summary of what was a complex, three year process. Allreaders are encouraged to read the following section in order to fullyappreciate the complexity of the issues involved. In addition, the dead endsand underdeveloped areas of this programme may prove to be productive forothers and for this reason a thorough reading of the following section may addto the reader’s appreciation of the potential of the Positive LearningProgramme.


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2. Discussion This chapter outlines the following:

• The implementation and development of the programme

• The materials devised

• Initial responses to the programme

Year One of the programme

First Year Group Assembly

To implement the “Positive Learning Programme” an assembly of all FirstYear students was held to explain the programme and invite theirparticipation. Teachers who were teaching the classes at that time broughtthem to the library.

The items on the overhead projector created a visual focus and helped to getpoints across clearly and forcefully. The use of a video camera was a newexperience. It had a variety of function:

• It recorded the beginning of the project.

• It added to the students’ interest and involvement.

• It created an atmosphere at the assembly, which was helpful.

• It was the students’ first introduction to a medium intended for usethroughout the project, e.g. to record group interviews.

Classroom Behaviour Agreement

The next day each class spent one class period (40 minutes) where eachstudent was given a copy of the Classroom Behaviour Agreement (seeResource document 5 on page 85) to read through, followed by a questionand answer session on the 8-point plan. A large emphasis was placed on thebenefits for each student if he/she adhered to the plan. Before studentssigned the agreement the seriousness of signing documents was discussed.Students were advised it was voluntary and would be better left unsignedrather than signed and not acted upon. The sheet was stapled into eachstudent’s journal after they had chosen to sign it.

At the end of the year teachers were surveyed.


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Question: Have you noticed any changes in pupils?

16 of the 22 teachers surveyed (72.7%) agreed there had been animprovement.

Examples of comments:

… students have settled down well

… a sense of collective responsibility has developed

… some have not responded to the system

… they are showing pride in their personal achievements, improved self-esteem

Homework Agreement

In week 2, the Homework Agreement (see Resource document 6 on page 86)was issued in exactly the same manner. During a class period each issue wasdiscussed in detail. Students were then requested to sign the agreement andit was stapled into their journals.

At the end of the year parents were surveyed:

Question: Has your child’s attitude to homework improved?

61 of the 77 of respondents (79%) indicated it had.

Consistency among teachers

Over these 2 weeks teachers were supportive and many gave some time intheir class to going over each agreement and explaining how it related to theirsubject.

This was very helpful in two respects:

1. It highlighted the important issues and hammered them home byfrequently repeating them.

2. Importantly, it also helped to establish a high level of consistency amongthe group of teachers.

This level of consistency is helpful for students. At the end of week 2, allstudents’ journals were checked. It was obvious from the lack of notes ofcomplaint from teachers, that there had been improvement.


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Student and class charts

We were now ready for the next stage of the project, the monitoring of eachclass period. Each student had stapled at the back of their journal a copy ofthe Student's Personal Achievement Certificate (see Resource document 9 onpage 89) and each class was given a Class Progress Chart (see Resourcedocument 7 on page 87 and Resource document 8 on page 88). These weredesigned to work in tandem. Teachers would initial a section on each of thethree points grids at the end of each class period. As the points grids climbedto the numbers indicated each student would receive a star on their personalachievement certificate. Each class progress chart was A3 size, coloured andglued onto stiff cardboard. A volunteer was requested in each class to carrythis from room to room each day.

Parent and teacher involvement

During this week information materials for teachers were made available anda letter to parents, giving information on the programme and requesting theirsupport, was posted out.

Teacher’s information sheet

A staff meeting was held to discuss the project and make further clarifications.

The idea of the project was positively received. Issues of concern arisingincluded the following:

• Carrying of charts around school, was there a danger of injury?• Would they cause disruption with students forgetting them,

mislaying them?• Could option subject classes be involved?

Time would tell with most of these issues, but the issue of students and optionsubjects needed immediate attention. The planned system would work onlywhen classes were operating as isolated groups, i.e. all core subjects. Whenstudents were intermingled for their classes of option subjects the individualclass chart would not be relevant. Initially it had not been intended to use theproject while these subjects were being taught. As regard movement withcharts at changes of class periods, it was agreed the situation would bemonitor carefully.

Option subject involvement

Consideration was given to enabling the option subjects to be part of theprogramme and the following system was agreed upon. A second chart wouldbe provided and placed in all option rooms. Teachers would initial sectionswhere they were happy with the students from each class. Weekly, the


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programme co-ordinator would visit each room and take note of entries. Itcould be possible to enter the sections on the main chart.

Initial reactions

Over the first days of the project teachers seemed comfortable with it.

Students genuinely seemed to be conscientious about adhering to thedemands being placed on them. As one teacher commented,

It appears to have generated a class spirit and a concern forimprovement.

There were occasions when charts were left behind or the volunteer forgot tocollect the chart. These were easily dealt with by backtracking to theclassroom where the chart was last used; invariably it was there. Ourconcerns about the chart carrying were quickly dispelled. Throughout the timethe charts were in use, there were no discipline incidents involving the chartson the corridors or in classrooms. By the end of the project they were wornbut not damaged or defaced in any way. Volunteers carrying the charts didchange regularly. It would be a useful task in situations where class captainsor prefect systems are in operation.

Teachers did not adequately avail themselves of the secondary charts in theoption rooms. Students complained about this, they felt it would delay theirprogress on the chart and delay rewards. Eventually we came to anunderstanding about what to do if teachers did not sign the charts. Once therewere no reports made regarding misbehaviour, poor class work or incompletehomework, awards on the master chart would be given weekly, under “optionsubjects”, for example, instead of teachers’ initials.

An observation made by several teachers was the depth of ownershipstudents formed with their class chart. Although the project was not intendedto be competitive, it was not unusual when chart carriers met in malls orcorridors to have short interchanges where comparisons were made. Inresponse, it was necessary at tutorial to emphasise that each class and allstudents could succeed and be rewarded accordingly.

First stars awarded

It was early in the fourth week before classes reached the first landmark of 45credits and all four classes reached this point within a two-day period. Aspromised, each class was visited and each student awarded their first star ontheir personal certificate. There was a mixture of good attention andexcitement in the classes. Concern had been expressed that perhaps at thisage-level stars would not be appropriate, but when asked in interview whetherstars were appropriate, the group responded that they were. Other commentsfrom their questionnaire supported this.


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It was apparent at this stage that some of the students only then fullyunderstood how the project worked. They had grasped the connectionbetween how the class performing well as a unit resulted in a star beingawarded on their personal certificates. Some discussion ensued and thisopportunity was taken to motivate and reinforce the requirements in each ofthe areas concerned.

This process was repeated as the weeks continued. It is very important toalways ensure that stars are awarded the moment the classes reach thecredit deadlines indicated on charts and certificates.

Competitiveness / bullying / class spirit

These important issues did arise. Teachers noticed the students’ interest inthe other classes’ charts. As one teacher commented,

… there is healthy competition between classes, some studentswere surprised at how much better behaved others were.

There were fears that this might lead to a degree of bullying. One particularclass was falling behind slightly. The students realised this by the fact thatthey were three days later than the other classes when being awarded stars.The first stage reached was ninety credits on the Homework points grid. Asstars were being awarded, one student asked why other classes had reachedthis position and been awarded their stars earlier that week.

It was confirmed that this was true and based on merit, to which the studentresponded that his class

… would have reached this point earlier except for somestudents hadn’t done their homework and teachers wererefusing to sign the chart.’

This opportunity was used to hold a class meeting to discuss some issuesand give the culprits the opportunity to explain their positions and promisetheir colleagues they would get homework in on time in future. The discussionwas both interesting and useful. It did not lead to any problems developingand in fact it was evident that within each class there was a good groupfeeling of belonging, developing.

At the end of the project, one student wrote:

I felt that the “PLP” helped us to come together as a class group.It also in first year helped me to make friends as I only knew oneperson in first year, also in first and second year I believe thatshy people came “out of their shells” when we went on schooltrips.

Having reached this stage with all classes, it signalled the awarding of the firstrewards indicated on the chart: last class Wednesday in the gymnasium and


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last class Friday free. On returning after the Easter holidays, charts were notbrought into action immediately, although students did request them. By thesecond week of our return there was a decline in work and behaviour. Onestudent later made the comment:

… When the programme was stopped for a while during theyear I found that I was falling down in my work a bit.

The project was re-implemented, and to encourage the students, specialawards were issued for Physical Education. This star was awarded to almostall students. The criteria were good participation and remembering to bringP. E. gear and towels for showers.

School uniform

Throughout the year the wearing of the uniform had been very good, but whilethe project was in operation students who had a problem with their uniformwould actually bring in a note explaining their situation. This was somethingseldom previously experienced; the more usual action of students out ofuniform was to avoid school personnel such as Principal, Vice Principal andYear Heads.

Attendance

The fourth points grid related to attendance. There was a big improvement instudents presenting explanation notes and in presenting requests when timeoff to attend appointments was needed. Some real progress was made in thisarea, as students proved they were willing to return to school afterappointments (dentist, etc.) on the understanding that their attendance recordwould not be broken. This was a significant insight as previouslyappointments such as these were seen as legitimate reason to take the wholeday off. Generally attendance was good and many students made an extraeffort to attain better attendance. One particular student achieved 100%attendance for the year.

Unfortunately a minority continued to have poor attendance and while somesmall incidents of truancy were detected, a larger number of cases involvedabsences with parents’ consent but for quite poor reasons.

Project completion and rewards

As the project moved towards the month of May, the rewards offered on thechart were implemented. A questionnaire and a letter to parents were issuedoutlining a brief report on the project and the arrangements for awards.Awards 1 and 2 (last period on Wednesday in the gymnasium, last class onFriday free) were well received. Only a few students took up the offer of theclass time in the gymnasium, choosing to go home early instead.


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The final class reward was an outward-bound trip, which went very well. Aninteresting aspect of this award is the fact that since the school opened wehave always had outward bound trips, but had not previously requiredstudents to work through a project to merit such a facility. To complete theproject we continued with the chart right up to the end of the year. This waspossible because students were still interested in acquiring stars on theirpersonal certificates.

Presentation of certificates

During the last days of term all student journals were collected and at aglance it was possible to ascertain how many gold stars each student hadearned. With the help of class tutors, “Certificates of Completion” (seeResource document 11 on page 91 and Resource document 13 on page 93)were prepared. To give maximum prestige to the awarding of certificates, afinal assembly was held at the end of their examinations on the last day of theschool year to give the awards. Tutors attended the award ceremony. ThePrincipal made a short address complimenting the year group on completingtheir first year in school and the great effort they had put into their schooling.

Each student was called to the front of the hall and awarded the certificateand a small prize.

Year Two of the programme

Cycle Two began in November 1996. Alterations to some of the materialshelped fuel the enthusiasm of the students.

This section outlines initiatives which were made to support the following;

• Self-motivated learning

• Discipline as an interpersonal issue

• ‘Class of the year’ formula

Changes and preliminary arrangements

As for the previous year all students attended an assembly. Preparationsconsisted of:

1. Setting up an overhead projector with transparencies of the Behaviour andHomework Agreements. It was intended to show the agreements to thewhole cohort of students and to re-invoke their commitment to theprogramme.


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2. Providing a video and T.V. with the recording of the assembly from the firstyear.

3. Hanging a new notice board in the junior mall. This would be used toupdate information on the progress of each class, plus other educationalinformation.

4. Providing a new set of “Class Progress Charts”.

5. Giving each student a copy of the newly designed “Student PersonalAward Sheet”.

It was agreed for this second phase that the “Class Progress Chart” wouldcontinue the function of uniting the class together as a unit and the “StudentPersonal Award Sheet” was designed to focus more on the individual andencourage each student to fulfil their highest potential. Also, giving points foreach star awarded provided a system whereby the class with the highestscore at the end of the year would be deemed class of the year.

Formula (coloured star = 1 point, silver star = 2 points, gold star = 5 points)

Total points score from stars

Number of students in class= Class average

This system enabled each class member to make a positive contribution andshare in the success of the class.

Award results for second year

The following table shows an example of the results for three students and theclass average. Award numbers can be matched to the Student PersonalAward Sheet (see Resource document 12 on page 92) for details of actualactivity.

Class Shannon

Award1

Award2

Award3

Award4

Award5

Award6

Award7

Award8

Award9

Total

Donna 5 5 2 8 8 3 5 5 5 46

Deirdre 5 5 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 15

Adam 5 5 8 8 3 8 5 5 5 52

908 divided by 30 students = 30.267 classaverage


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Second Year Student Personal Award Sheet

A view of the award sheet will show the areas targeted for improvement.Award 1 deals with the issues all schools face during the month ofSeptember, i.e. student readiness for the year ahead. Other issues providedfor on the sheet are include the following: participation in school activities;attendance; homework; punctuality; behaviour; uniform /appearance; and thefacility for class teachers to award stars.

End of year certification and rewards

In line with the previous year, on the last day of the examinations we held thepresentation of certificates and awards to each student for his/her effort andcontribution during the year. Students were also informed that at thebeginning of third year they would each receive a ring binder, A4 pad andpens. In addition, the Class of the Year would also received a lever-archfolder (the Parents Association had kindly financed the purchasing of theseitems).

The certificate was designed as a keepsake of the year and highlights someevents of interest to this age group as they passed through to the third andfinal year of the Junior Cycle (see Resource document 16 on page 96).

Year Three of the programme

Third Year, with its in-built motivation from the Junior Certificate Examination,is a major event in students’ lives and for many of them, the Positive LearningProgramme was unnecessary. This made it all the more surprising to findthem eager to continue with a third and final cycle.

This section outlines initiatives which were made to support the following:

• Negotiation of changes

• Obstacles

• Strategy to cope with deep-seated problems

• Some success

Negotiation

As we entered into Third Year, the project team was unsure of the feasibilityof running the “P.L.P” for a third cycle. During the first week of term, in thecourse of a visit to each class to award the materials for second year,discussion was initiated to see what their thoughts were. They were verypleased with the binders, etc. and they seemed receptive to carrying on the


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project with some changes to the awards. There was consensus that Awards2 and 7 (see Resource document 12 on page 92) should go as these involvedparticipation in school activities.

Their point was that students partake in these activities by choice and theycarry their own intrinsic rewards anyway. The addition of receiving a star wasnot enough to encourage other students to participate in extra curricularactivities. Their suggestions were agreed and in addition the opportunity wasused to enlist their agreement to the broadening of Award 9 (teacherendorsement) to facilitate the signing by each of their teachers. It was alsoagreed that separating the “Class Chart” and the “Student Award Sheets” wasa good idea, and we agreed that the system used in first year of rewardingeach student when the class reached the numbers indicated on the ClassChart was the best system.

The inclusion of issues such as attendance, punctuality, homework andbehaviour was automatically accepted as core issues to the project. This initself was enlightening! While students’ performance in these areas can fallbelow accepted standards, they fully realise what the school’s expectationsare. This whole negotiation was a very worthwhile process. Students wereactively involved in creating acceptable standards for participation in school.

In the light of the negotiations and the level of enthusiasm, an award systemfor Third Year was drawn up (see Resource document 14 on page 94).

Implementation of cycle three

Award sheets were stapled into students’ journals during tutorial classes andthey seemed pleased with the contents. It was accepted that the scoringsystem and rewards would be the same as in Second Year.

Student award sheets

Classes were visited on a regular basis to award stars to students as theyreached the various criteria in each area. Students generally seemedreceptive to receiving their stars but it was proving more difficult to make thisindividual kind of contact as there were other demands crucial to Third Yearwhich impinged on the time available. The Junior Certificate necessitatesseveral administrative functions such as collection of fees, entering studentsfor their subjects and the relevant levels, etc. It was felt that perhaps the mostproductive thing to do now to support teachers would be to focus on theindividual problems (i.e. attendance) which had become evident.


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Attendance

Having consulted the rolls, and from experience the previous year, severalstudents with severe attendance problems were identified. Followingdiscussion with the School Attendance Officer, visits to some of their homeswere completed. In one case the matter was pursued to court, the result ofwhich was a £10 fine. The initiative undertaken to deal with unacceptableattendance was to place these students on a Home Attendance Record Card(see Resource document 15 on page 95).

This intervention involved meeting with parents and requesting them to markattendance each day, morning and afternoon for a period of one month. It isalso important to keep the card displayed in a prominent position in the home.This brought about an improvement for most of these students, whichsupports the idea of home monitoring. The Curriculum Development Unit ofDublin City, Vocational Education Committee has developed a similar systemfor use with the new Junior Certificate School Programme.

End of year certification

As there were no house exams for this year group, on the morning they wereto finish school they were brought to an assembly. Each student was called tothe front of the hall and awarded a set of pens together with their certificateand our best wishes (see Resource document 16 on page 96).

Special certification

A number of students were entitled to special certificates for Attendance andPunctuality. At the earlier tutorials students who felt they had reached thecriteria in these areas were requested to indicate this, after which a full checkof the school roll was completed.

Attendance award

One student was entitled to a special certificate for 100% attendance for theyear (see Resource document 17 on page 97).

Punctuality award

Eight students completed the year with no lateness and were entitled to aspecial certificate for punctuality (see Resource document 18 on page 98).


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Findings

The following findings emerged from the research. Using an Action Researchmethodology with a constant comparative method of data analysis, researchwas carried out with the use of rating scales, student interviews, parent,teacher and student questionnaires plus the Year Head’s diary. The followingare the main findings of this research.

1. Student interaction

• Students, when given the choice to participate in a self-improvementprogramme, showed interest and enthusiasm.

• Negotiation with students of acceptable practices and behaviours proved aworthwhile and enlightening process.

• While students’ performance in some areas fell below accepted standards,in discussion it was apparent that students fully realised what the school’sexpectations are.

• Junior cycle students were capable of being involved in creating criteria ofacceptable standards for participation in school.

• Students needed to be involved in discussion centred on their progress,and re-evaluation of the programme and its objectives on a regular basis.

2. Student award sheets

• It was important to visit classes regularly and award stars to students ontheir award sheet as they reached the various criteria.

• Over the three years very few students lost, mislaid, or defaced theiraward sheets.

3. Rewards

• The programme offered students a graded selection of rewards. Gettingrewards for doing good things is considered by over 80% of the juniorpupils as being a good way to change their behaviour. On the other handless than 50% of the pupils (24.1% definitely and 24.1% probably)reported that they would be discouraged from a particular behaviour pathby detention.

• The initial reward of stars proved acceptable to this age group in First,Second, and Third Year.

• As regards school certification, students were eager, proud and enjoyedreceiving their certificates.


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• Outward-bound proved an extremely popular and appreciated reward. Anin-built leisure element as opposed to pure educational content isimportant to the students.

• The prospect of a trip acted as an encouragement to students to behaveand work better in school.

• Building interdependence among students was shown to be an importantaspect for the programme.

• Positive peer pressure developed and operated when the atmospherecreated was conducive.

• A positive element of interclass competitiveness developed among theclasses.

• The onus lay on the programme co-ordinator to monitor the situation andnot allow competitiveness increase to a level where pressure or bullyingmight evolve.

4. Class chart

• The introduction of the class charts created the possibility of two newalternative strategies for classroom discipline: (1) rewarding positivebehaviour and (2) withholding the reward for positive behaviour when it isnot deserved. This is of course dependent on whether:

• It is feasible for classes to carry a chart around school daily.

• Students from each class were willing on a voluntary basis to takeresponsibility for the chart.

• Students developed a sense of ownership and pride in their ownclass chart.

In the context of the above points, it is important to note the following:

• Over the three years, on occasions when the programme was not inoperation, students did request the charts and the re-implementation of theprogramme as they felt they were slipping back in their work andbehaviour.

• No incidence of misbehaviour or injury involving the charts occurred duringthe three year period.

• The chart can act as a conduit for information between teachers onmatters of behaviour, homework and attendance.


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• By the end of the project the charts were worn but not damaged ordefaced in any way

• Charts were occasionally mislaid or left behind in classes.

• During the period of the project the number of complaint letters sent toparents dropped considerably.

• At the conclusion of a workshop with diploma students in Dublin CityUniversity, the consensus was that materials could be adapted and usedin other schools and also in Community Training Workshops, TravellerEducation Centres, Youthreach Centre and other places of learning foryoung people.

5. Consistency among teachers

• Consistency among teachers is important and helpful for students.

• It helped when each different teacher frequently highlighted and repeatedimportant school issues.

• Teacher approval was important to students. Almost 66% of studentsstated they were likely to behave better if their teachers praised them.

• Students admitted that they would be very reticent to seek approval if theyfelt it was not forthcoming.

6. Colleagues’ support for the programme

• Teachers of core subjects were the mainstays of the functioning of theproject and many felt it provided a source of support in their classroom.

• In Third Year a minority of teachers felt that some students had notresponded enough to the positive approach and more authoritative actionwas necessary.

• The level of involvement in school work for students increases greatly inThird Year and students naturally become more motivated, making thistype of programme less necessary than in First or Second Year.

7. School uniform

• The system of reward for wearing school uniform and keeping appearanceneat and tidy worked as well, if not better, than the previous system ofimposing sanctions.


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• Students developed their responsibility level to the point of excusing alapse in this area by bringing in a parental explanation note.

8. Self-motivated learning

• The programme provided for many students a source of encouragementfor self-motivated learning.

• It allowed students the opportunity to change.

• It allowed students to develop their sense of responsibility for their actions.

9. Discipline as an interpersonal issue

• 81.4% of the year group felt the way in which they do their work changedfor the better.

• 70.3% (40.7% definitely and 29.6% probably) confirmed a general changein their relationship with their teachers, while exactly the same figureconfirmed a general change in how they got on with other pupils.

10. Attendance

• There was a big improvement in students presenting explanation notesand in presenting requests when time off to attend appointments wasnecessary.

• Students proved that they were willing to return to school afterappointments (dentist, etc.) on the understanding that their continuity ofattendance would not be broken.

• Attendance throughout the programme was poor for a minority of students.This was due to some incidents of truancy but a larger number of caseswere for quite poor reasons of absence with parents’ consent.

• Many students increased their time span of unbroken attendance, and thisbrought about a reduction in the number of single casual days lost.

• Two students achieved full attendance in First Year and Third Year.

• The facility of the Attendance Officer or Home Liaison Officer visiting thehome offers the best chance of a solution in cases of chronic poorattendance. The individual student usually cannot solve his/her ownabsentee problem. With the support of family, and school, improvement ispossible as was borne out by the introduction of the “Home Roll” system.


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11. Punctuality

• Students became more aware of the need to be punctual, and a definiteimprovement in this area ensued. In Third Year, seven students completedthe year with a 100% punctuality record.

12. Class of the year

• The system which evolved to select a class of the year proved to be open,transparent, fair, and popular with students. It brought the issue to the foreas an all-year-round consideration which acted as a source of motivation.

13. Homework

• Many students improved in the area of homework.

• A small number of students regularly failed to solve their problem ofproducing homework, and teachers found this unacceptable andundermining.

• Home situations of space, facilities and supervision have a bearing onhomework problems.

14. Behaviour

• Behaviour varied between the classes.

• Class Shannon developed into an exemplary group of students. Almostevery student participated at a high level in the programme, scoring aclass average of 30.26 and 41.6 for Second and Third Year respectively.

• Class Erne reached a level which was acceptable and with one notableexception each student participated. The class average score was 19.85and 38.6 for Second and Third Year respectively. The administrativedecision to keep the class size as small as possible proved a significanthelp to students and teachers.

• Class Lagan responded least to the “positive approach”, and a significantnumber of students withheld their full commitment to the programme. Thisresulted in average scores of 17.76 and 36.5 respectively for Second andThird Year. The large class size and extremely wide ability range werecausative factors.

• Over the three years, there were only two cases where continuedmisbehaviour eventually required the sitting of a disciplinary committeeand referral to the school’s Board of Management. This is a favourablestatistic compared with previous year groups in the school.


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Recommendations

• Materials: Use the wide variety of materials devised to select a differentand interesting programme for each future group who might participate.

• Year group: Focus the “Positive Learning Programme” on either First orSecond Year students.

• Time scale: Operate the programme in two eight-week blocks, beginningin October of term one and February of term two.

• Subjects: The focus of the programme is on core subjects. Discontinuethe notion of a separate chart for option subjects, but continue to awardclass points on the class chart, provided option teachers have notindicated awards are not deserved.

• Assemblies: Ensure student assemblies are adequately prepared for, i.e.seating, handouts, overhead projector, materials etc.

• Meetings: Facilitate meetings for teachers of year groups to encourageparticipation and understanding of the programme.

• Parents: Continue the process of involving parents by providinginformation on the programme and describing its aspirations. Seekparental views through the use of questionnaires.

• Posts of responsibility: Post holders will benefit by making a shift infocus to create a framework that ensures relationships with students andcare of student needs, are not overly disciplinarian but deal more withstudent welfare. This can be achieved by including in the job description afocus to promote positive learning and discipline with the emphasis on thefollowing issues:

• Promoting good attendance• Encouraging good classroom behaviour and manners• Helping students to understand the need for and accept the

responsibility to do homework• Encouraging students to develop the skills necessary for

independent study• Providing ongoing positive support for teachers and

parents before problems develop


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Finally …

On June 10th the year group began the Junior Certificate examination. Prior tothis one student summarised her experience of the “Positive LearningProgramme” in the as follows:

I think my three years so far in Greendale have been very good.I found the Positive Learning Programme kept the class frombreaking the rules. It also made people do their homework to thebest of their ability. In 1st Year I found things different and theclass was just wild, but they have settled down and startedworking. Most people in my class think the Positive LearningProgramme has really helped the class settle down.


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CLASSROOM BEHAVIOUR AGREEMENT

1) I must line up close to wall outside classroom.

a) I can talk quietly to the person next to me.

b) I must not shout or push.

2) When my teacher tells us to enter, I will enter quietly and go straight to my seat.

3) I will immediately take out my books, copy, journal and place them on my desk.

4) I will then sit quietly and listen to my teacher.

5) If I want to speak, I will raise my hand and speak only when my teacher allows me.

6) I will not leave my seat or interfere with other students by making noise or misbehaving.

7) When class ends, I will wait for my teacher to tell me to put my books away, I will then stand up and place my chair behind my desk.

8) I will stand in my place until my teacher tells me to leave the classroom.

PLEDGE:

I Class

promise to obey this 8 point agreement.

DATE:

Resource document 5 Classroom Behaviour Agreement


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HOMEWORK AGREEMENT

1) All homework must be written into the journal.

2) Homework should show your best effort both in content and in neatness.

3) Homework must be handed up in the class on the day it is due.

4) Homework is not just written work. Reading and learning must also be done.

5) Part of homework is preparing for the next day in school. This isdone by:

a. Looking at tomorrow’s timetable. b. Packing all books, copies and equipment (P.E., Home

Economics etc.) needed for tomorrow’s classes. c. If you go home at lunchtime, pack books, etc. for

morning and afternoon separately.

6) Check if you are to bring any of the following with you:

Absentee noteMedical noteMoney for some activity

IF SO PACK IT NOW.

Who is responsible for having everything with you in schooltomorrow?

Answer: I am responsible.

Class ……………… Date ……….…

Resource document 6 Homework Agreement


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Class Progress Chart (Part A)

270 270

ClassworkCompleted

Awardsgiven whenclass reachpointsindicated

200

150

90

Behaviour

Awardedwhenwhole classreachpointsindicated.

225

Last classFriday free

180

135

45

Classwork Behaviour

1. We listen to the teacher 1. We enter class quietly and go2. To answer a question we quietly raise our straight to our seats hands 2. We place our books, copy and3. We listen to the answer and journal on the desk We do written work quietly and put our hands 3. We do not leave our seats, if we need help make noise or misbehave4. We get on with our work without disturbing 4. We leave class quietly others

Resource document 7 Class Chart Part A (scaled from A3 to A4 format)


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Class Progress Chart (Part B)

270 4 Full Weeks

Homework

Completedon time andshowingyour besteffort.

Bonus starfor allstudents

200

150

Last classfree Wed.

Sports ingym, 1-2.30

90

Attendance

Free day foroutwardbound

3 full weeks

2 full weeks

1 full week

Homework Attendance

1. All homework must be written into your A star will be awarded for one fulljournal weeks attendance and on a

continuous basis where2. Homework should show your best effort attendance is not broken for one,both in content and in neatness three and four weeks

3. Homework is written work, learning andrevision of classwork

Resource document 8 Class Chart Part B (scaled from A3 to A4 format)


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Resource document 9 Student’s Personal Achievement Certificate


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AWARD SCHEME FOR STUDENTS

Information Sheet for Teachers on the Award Schemefor Students of First Year

• This project will commence after mid-term and run for six weeks.

• The aim of the project is to bring about an improvement in four main areas:

CLASSWORD BEHAVIOUR HOMEWORK ATTENDANCE

• Students will be advised on how to achieve and use the certificate stapledin their journals.

• Achievement stars will be awarded in tutorial class.

• A student in each first class will being a chart to each class every day.

• The chart shows four labelled points grids, each divided into six, showingfive sections across and nine sections high (= 45 points). Teachers arerequested to initial one small square for each period where you aresatisfied with the effort made by the class.

• Please ensure that the chart is displayed at the top of the classroomthroughout the period.

• At the end of the class, if you are not awarding the points, explains yourreasons and name the students responsible.

• Only one class may be awarded per class period.

• Do not allow students to negotiate extra points or make up for points lost.

Resource document 10 Award Scheme For Students


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Resource document 11 Certificate of Completion


92

Resource document 12 Second Year Student Personal Award Sheet


93

Resource document 13 Second Year Certificate of Completion


94

Resource document 14 Third Year Personal Award Sheet


95

Resource document 15 Home Attendance Record Card


96

Resource document 16 End of Year Certificate


97

Resource document 17 Attendance Award


98

Resource document 18 Punctuality Award


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Chapter Five – Evaluation: Reactions and Issues

Introduction

The Curam programme, and indeed all of the Action Research projectsdescribed here, were the subject of an extensive evaluation carried out by theSchool of Education Studies, Dublin City University. This chapter will drawfrom the evaluation in an attempt to present a flavour of the reactions of thekey school stakeholders to the programme. In addition, some of the issueswhich were deemed important by the school community as a whole will beexamined. The chapter will initially deal with the following:

1. Pupil reactions

2. Staff reactions

It will then go on to explore the following issues which arose :

1. Issues of leadership

2. Issues of collaboration

Project evaluation

1. Pupil reactions

The initial student reaction to the Positive Learning Programme was generallypositive. To quote one student:

The Positive Learning Programme has helped us to becomecloser as a year group. I feel it helped us to come to terms withthe rules of a school, which were very new to us. The rewardsthe programme offered helped us to work towards something asa class. It meant we had to work together, it made each one ofus important as a single person working in unison for the groupreward.

In many ways, this encapsulates one of the key initial aims of the programme,namely to help and encourage students to enjoy and find more fulfilment inthe experience of school, regardless of their ability, and to create in eachclass an atmosphere of harmony and positive peer pressure where good workand good behaviour would be recognised and rewarded.


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Adolescence can be a time of low motivation and lack of direction for manystudents. These issues cause great stress for teachers, but within thisprogramme one of the students found that

the Positive Learning Programme helped us as a year group tofocus more on our work. I think the programme helped us tofollow the school rules. It made us want to do our work becausewe were thinking of winning the class of the year. I did my bestin my homework and class-work.

Self-motivated learning is something that as teachers we all like to see, buthow do we create the climate for its evolution in our classrooms? Anotherstudent found in the PLP a

programme that has focused the class on working well andpleasing the student rather than our teachers. I think it hashelped us achieve more than we would have normally andshould be used for all classes.

These specific responses were mirrored by the class group as a whole whensurveyed at the end of the process. Asked whether they thought the PLP wasa good idea, over 90% thought it was with two thirds confirming theimportance of the system in determining their behaviour (O’Hara, 1998, p.148). A detailed breakdown of their attitudes to factors which influence theirbehaviour in class indicates that the positive approach of acknowledging goodbehaviour and rewarding it was at least as successful in altering behaviour asthe more traditional negative, sanctions-based approaches (see Table 1).


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Definitely Probably Not sure Probablynot

Definitelynot

% % % % %

Teachersmentioning goodthings you havedone

Getting rewards fordoing good thingsyourself

Detention

Teachers pointingout bad things youhave done

Extra homework

School contactingyour parents byphone/letter

Being treated withrespect

Doing things thatinterest you

20.7

62.1

24.1

20.7

20.7

44.8

69.0

86.2

44.8

20.7

24.1

13.8

24.1

24.1

20.7

6.9

24.1

3.4

20.7

24.1

10.3

6.9

6.9

0.0

6.9

10.3

17.2

13.8

20.7

13.8

3.4

6.9

3.4

3.4

13.8

27.6

24.1

10.3

0.0

0.0

Table 1. Which of these is most likely to change your behaviour?

Students at all levels felt that the system should be kept for the next year (seeTable 2) although in follow up interviews, the seniors were somewhat morecynical about the practicalities of this. This could be explained by the fact thatseniors felt that the reward system proposed was really more appropriate forjunior cycle students and consideration could be given to redesigning rewardsand sanctions in an more appropriate way.


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YEAR

Juniors Seniors

Count Col % Count Col %

Do you think that the new systemshould be kept for next year?

Yes

No21

5

80.8

19.2

12

1

92.3

7.7

Table 2. Do you think the system should be kept for next year?

2 The teachers’ reactions

One of the most difficult tasks facing anybody attempting to introduce aninnovative programme in a school environment is that of initially convincingthe staff as a whole of the need for such a change and subsequently of theefficacy of the programme offered. In this case, when surveyed most teachersseemed to acknowledge the need for the programme (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Do you think the programme was necessary?

The extent of the understanding of the programme’s value is indicated by theteachers’ views of factors which they consider important in altering pupilbehaviour (see Table 3).

75%

25%

Yes

No


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Disagree Tend todisagree

Uncertain Tend toagree

Agree

% % % % %

Acknowledgingpositive classroombehaviour

Commentingfavourably in pupils’journals

Using sanctions

Concentrating oneliminatingdisruptive classroombehaviour

Negotiating ruleswith pupils

Using a class rewardsystem

Treating pupils withrespect

0.0

0.0

13.6

0.0

4.5

0.0

0.0

4.5

4.5

31.8

9.5

18.2

4.5

0.0

13.6

13.6

22.7

14.3

18.2

40.9

9.1

31.8

40.9

22.7

47.6

40.9

22.7

9.1

50.1

40.9

9.1

28.6

18.2

31.8

81.8

Table 3. Factors which change pupil behaviour (CHANGE POS ->NEG)

The information presented gives some indication of the extent to which thekey concepts of the positive discipline programme have been accepted by thestaff. They were overwhelmingly in favour of acknowledging positivebehaviour in order to alter discipline. In addition they generally see the valueof entering into a process of rule negotiation with their pupils (only 20%disagreeing with the contention). There is a little more ambiguity regarding thevalue of class rewards, and perhaps most interestingly a considerable body ofthe teaching staff still sees the elimination of disruptive behaviour as being theprimary focus of any discipline system. While in itself this is not in conflict withthe positive approach to discipline, there is a danger that a concentration oneliminating disruptive behaviour through the use of sanctions alone couldundermine the entire thrust of the approach.


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The reason for this apparent ambiguity is perhaps best explained by a staffmember who feels that

some staff for a variety of reasons may never have becomeinvolved or taken ownership of this programme … someteachers have gotten into a rut over the years and are afraid toexperiment/change/question the quality of their own teachingeffectiveness. They are terrified of being exposed, so to speak.

Ultimately there is a sense of realism about the teachers’ attitudes to the newprogramme. While most feel it necessary, not all are sure it actually alteredpupil behaviour in any significant manner.

1 Issues of leadership

The issue of leadership was a central one in the development of this project.Traditionally leadership in schools was seen as the sole preserve of thePrincipal. He or she decided what was to be done and then told others whenand how to do it. This model of leadership has come under sustained attack inrecent decades. Writers such as Fullan (1993), Hargreaves (1994), Hopkins(1994) and Senge (1993) have developed an alternative view of schoolleadership. This view emphasises the importance of collaborative decision-making and collective decision implementation. Leaders are now

“designers, stewards and teachers. They are responsible forbuilding organisations where people continually expand theircapabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision and improveshared mental models - that is they are responsible for learning”

(Senge, 1993, p. 340)

Laudable though this view may be, some individuals dismiss the wholedynamic as nothing more than a way of avoiding work on the part of those inmanagement. The particular approach adopted by this school communityemphasised the importance of flexibility in the establishment of adequateleadership structures. A key issue to emerge was the concept of fitting theappropriate leadership style to the particular stage of organisationaldevelopment. There was concern regarding the roles adopted by keyindividuals in the organisational structure, particularly the roles of the Principaland the de facto change co-ordinator. Implicit throughout the project was aconcern regarding the distribution of authority and responsibility within theleadership structure adopted.

The locus of leadership within this project changed a number of times over thelifetime of the research intervention. In the first phase, the position of leaderwas held by the Principal. He was responsible for the creation of a sense ofneed among the school community to re-evaluate the structures and culture ofthe school in the general area of discipline. This re-evaluation came as aresult of an institutional analysis programme instituted at his behest. In thepreparatory phase of the project, he took a visible leadership position by


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• establishing a positive discipline working group and

• applying for a departmental research grant

He chose the individuals who made up the personnel of the working groupand facilitated their work by altering the timetable structure. He broadly guidedthe direction taken by the group to ensure that its work would be of value tothe organisation. At the end of the preparatory phase, he withdrew from aformal leadership role and allowed an alternative leadership structure toemerge. This could be seen as providing evidence of the style ofempowerment leadership that some of the informants attribute to him.

The alternative leadership structure was a group-based one. Individualsinvolved in the positive discipline working group took it upon themselves todevelop an implementation structure for the project. This allowed them tobroaden the ownership basis of the research goals and begin the process ofoperationalising them. The authority focus of this group was a collective oneand no one guiding figure emerged.

The implementation structure was to be a collaborative one, seeking toinvolve the whole staff in the development of a new positive teachingprogramme. To do this, an outside expert was brought in to act as a catalystfor dissemination of these ideas to the staff. Despite the apparent success ofthe project, significant problems emerged, resulting in a new shift in theleadership focus at the beginning of the second year of the project.Responsibility for the programme fell to an individual group member. Thismember was committed to using a collaborative process for introducing aschool-wide discipline plan. As a result of her commitment to the collaborativemethodology, she chose to adopt a role as communicator as opposed toauthority figure. This worked well for the consultation phase of the project’sdevelopment. In the second phase of the programme, that of projectimplementation, some individuals felt that there was a lack of focus due to theabsence of an authority figure. However most staff felt comfortable with thestyle adopted as they felt it allowed them to interact with the person mostimmediately associated with the project’s implementation.

2 Issues of collaboration

From the outset of this process, there was a commitment on the part of theteacher researchers to the development of a genuine collaborative approachto the implementation of the new programme of discipline (Mulcahy, 1997).

The commitment seems to have its roots in a combination of conceptual aswell as practical issues. On a conceptual level, the project team showed aconsiderable awareness of the role played by collaboration in theinstitutionalisation of any innovation. Citing the work of writers such asAinscow (1994) and Hargreaves (1994), they charted the development of an


106

understanding of change and institutionalisation processes in schools, andargued very strongly that if innovatory programmes are going to survive, notonly must they change certain structures within the organisation, they mustalso change the basic orientation of the organisation. In other words, theymust change the cultural presuppositions of the organisation (Mulcahy, 1997).

Referring to the work of Ainscow (1994), the teacher researchers suggestedthat it is a combination of an ability to change and the presence of a genuineculture of collegiality that allows organisations to initiate innovatoryprogrammes. Perhaps of greater importance is the insight that “changes thatdo not directly affect the culture of the school will be short lived” (Mulcahy,1997, p. 12).

The culture that the project was trying to promote throughout the process wasone of teacher collaboration based on the understanding of collaborativecultures developed by Hargreaves (1994). Hargreaves suggests that there arefour basic cultures to be found in schools: the collaborative; the individual; thecontrived collegiality model; and the balkanised. Hargreaves (1994) arguesthat

the confidence that comes from collegial sharing and supportleads to greater readiness to experiment and take risks, andwith it a commitment to continuous improvement amongteachers as a recognised part of their professional obligation(p. 186).

This then seems to provide the conceptual backdrop against which theintensive series of meetings held in the first six months of the project’simplementation phase must be viewed. Put simply, the commitment tocollaboration demonstrated by those meetings had a practical purpose. Theteacher researchers were aware that a collaborative staff was more likely tobe an innovative staff and an innovative staff was more likely to take risks.The change of something so central to a teacher’s self-definition as adiscipline system demands that teachers be prepared to take risks.

Conclusion

The issues and reactions reported here are by no means exhaustive. In aprogramme as complex as this there were many other reactions and issueswhich could not be included. What these four categories do, however, presentis a flavour of what was important to the participants in this process ofchange. The final chapter of this handbook will look at some generalrecommendations that may be of relevance to schools undertaking similarprogrammes.


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Chapter Six – Conclusions andRecommendations

Introduction

The final chapter of this handbook presents the general conclusions andrecommendations drawn from the experience of the Greendale Project. Therecommendations offered are drawn from a synthesis of the findings outlinedin earlier chapters of this handbook.

There were a wide variety of data sources used in the research, drawn fromboth the quantitative and qualitative traditions. This allowed the evaluator toengage in extensive methodological and subject triangulation. This suggeststhat the conclusions and recommendations outlined can be relied on as agood indication of the most widely-held perceptions of the school communityin relation to the positive discipline programme under investigation.

The recommendations presented here will be divided into two distinct groups:those which refer specifically to the programme under investigation and whichcan be used to counteract some of the problems detailed in the previouschapter, and those with wider relevance. Because of the desire of the authorsto draw out general principles from case studies such as this with relevancefor application in a broader setting, the majority of this section will be devotedto the more general recommendations. It should be noted at this stage thatthe breadth of the investigation has resulted in the production of manyrecommendations throughout the body of this work. While it is impossible tosummarise all of these in the space available, it is hoped to present those withthe widest potential for general applicability.

1. Recommendations specific to the “Curam” programme

The programme under investigation is at a comparatively early stage in itsdevelopment. While there have been some notable successes in its initialphases, it is recommended that the following steps be taken to ensure itscontinued vibrancy:

1. The responsibility for implementation of the whole school programmeshould be spread more evenly within the school. It is suggested that theinitial working group be given a broader role in facilitating thisimplementation.

2. The membership of the working group should be opened to all staffinterested in the development of alternative approaches to discipline in theschool. In the event of this group becoming too large, it is recommended


108

that a representative selection of staff members, possibly drawn fromsubject groups, be appointed. If possible, time should be set aside formallyto facilitate this group’s meetings.

3. A formal feedback mechanism should be established to ensure that allstaff have the most up-to-date information on the latest developmentsconcerning the programme. This mechanism may take the form of wholestaff meetings, subject group briefings, or a written document.

4. Consideration should be given to the suggestion of developing analternative version of the programme for senior years. A separate workinggroup might be set up to consider this. It might be considered appropriateto include a student representative in this group.

5. More in-service days should be proposed with staff playing a greater rolein the selection of in-service facilitators.

6. A further suggestion regarding the broadening of the programme title toinclude the commitment to encouraging the development of autonomouslearning should be given serious consideration.

7. The consultation involving students and parents should be continued at allpossible opportunities.

8. The mentorship programme for future Higher Diploma students piloted inthe present should be continued in the future and if possible, expanded toinclude all new staff so as to ensure a common grounding in theprogramme strategy.

2. Investigating the school as it is: The role of organisationalanalysis

t a general level, the research indicates the important role played byorganisational analysis in the initial decision to begin the process ofconsultation which ultimately resulted in the development and implementationof this programme. For this reason, it is recommended that:

1. Where possible, all schools considering any change in organisationalstructures do so as part of an overall strategic planning initiative.

2. Where this is not possible, at very least schools should engage in a“Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats” (SWOT) analysis.This analysis should be used as a vehicle for identifying the strengths andweaknesses of the organisation in the general area of discipline as well asidentifying the key stakeholders in any potential change programme.


109

The role of organisational structures

The process of organisational analysis detailed above should concentrate aconsiderable amount of its resources on exploring the potential role to beplayed by existing organisational structures in the development andimplementation of any new discipline programme. It is recommended that:

1. Where present, subject departments should be viewed as key resources inthe initial development of any innovatory programme. As alreadysuggested, these departments could be asked to provide personnel forany working group established to explore alternative approaches todiscipline. They could also be used to provide a valuable whole schoolconsultation mechanism.

2. Consideration should be given to the establishment of a post ofresponsibility dedicated to the exploration of the potential role to be playedby discipline in the school. If deemed appropriate, the remit of this postmight be expanded to one covering programmes dedicated toorganisational innovation in general.

3. At a more specific organisational level, programmes involving significantstaff input should be taken into account during the process of timetabledrafting.

3. The development of appropriate implementation structures

A significant amount of the research data generated deals with the design ofimplementation structures appropriate to the particular process underinvestigation. The findings indicate general satisfaction with the structuresdeveloped, however there were some specific suggestions made regardingboth the group and the individual implementation stages. It is worthsummarising these recommendations:

• While acknowledging the benefits of a group-based structure in the earlystages of programme development, the research emphasises theimportance of the establishment of thorough and on-going consultationand feedback mechanisms. As already mentioned, these mechanismsmight include the following:

– regular staff meetings devoted to the discussion of implementation issues,– the organisation of regular subject department meetings with the same purpose,– the establishment of a programme newsletter or staff room bulletin board to keep all staff abreast of the latest developments in the programme.


110

• Following on from the above point, a general commitment should be madeby any steering group established to make the procedures as transparentas possible to the rest of the school community. Procedures for ensuringthis might include:

– the copying and public display of all documentation relating to the programme,– the election of working group members by the staff as a whole,– the rotation of working group membership on an annual or bi-annual basis,– the production of a formal mission statement for the project to be negotiated by the whole staff.

• Where the above is not possible, programme providers should beencouraged to explore all possible means of broadening the project’sownership base among the staff.

• Where the decision is made to focus the responsibility for programme andimplementation on one individual, care should be taken that they are seento have sufficient authority to carry out this task. In the event of thisindividual being the Principal, care should be taken to ensure that theprogramme implemented is viewed as a genuinely staff-owned innovationand not as a management-generated one.

4. The role of external individuals or groups

The research evidence provided indicates that one of the most significantmoments in the project’s development came as the result of an in-service dayfacilitated by an outside expert. This day had both positive and negativerepercussions for the programme. In order to maximise the positive outcomesof such programmes in future, it is recommended that:

1. Careful consideration be given to the scheduling of this input. This studywould seem to suggest that there is a role for this input at both thebeginning and middle of the process. However, if a decision is made toinclude such individuals in the school change process, an extensive periodof briefing and de-briefing must be engaged in.

2. In-service groups drawn from practising teachers with an interest andexpertise in the discipline area be established. These groups could act asfacilitators during the initial, intermediary and terminal stages of anyprogramme developed. The establishment of such groups would requirethe backing of the Department of Education.

3. In the light of the above, the working group established in the subjectschool could be seen as ideal candidates to form part of an initial cohort ofin-service providers.


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