Discipline, Democracy, and Diversity: Working with Students with Behaviour Difficulties

Completely eliminating behaviour difficulties in schools is probably not possible but reducing them is a realistic aim. This book provides a useful range of practical approaches, responses, practices, and procedures that teachers can use in their everyday work. The main focus is to illustrate the links between behavioural theory and competent teaching practice. The combination of research scholarship and on-the-job experience will support teachers to be more skilful managers of students with challenging behaviours.

 

The title, Discipline, Democracy, and Diversity recurs as a theme throughout the book.

 

-Discipline is about teaching and modelling responsible individual and collective behaviours that will encourage students to become self-motivated and self-regulated learners.

-Democracy is about putting into practice skilful and respectful approaches for meeting the needs of students experiencing behaviour difficulties.

-Diversity is about creating an inclusive and safe environment: one that stimulates the development the development of knowledge, creativity, acceptance, and participation, and encourages the expression of feelings. 

 

Angus Macfarlane affiliates to the Te Arawa confederation of tribes in the central Bay of Plenty. He is an experienced teacher and educator in secondary schools, Special Education Services, and the Ministry of Education. Currently, he is an associate professor at the University of Waikato where he co-ordinates teaching and research in the Master of Special Education programme. His research has focused on the classroom management skills that can make teaching and learning more culturally relevant. In 2003 Dr Macfarlane was awarded the inaugural Senior Research Fellowship by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. His landmark book Kia Hiwa Ra! Listen to Culture: Maori Students’ Plea to Educators is also published by NZCER Press.