Dimensions of Person-Centered Classroom Management

摘要

Public opinion trends over the last five decades show that lack of discipline continues to be one of America's top public educational concerns. This trend suggests that alternatives to the traditional model are urgently needed. In this traditional model of classroom management, based on behaviorism and still common in some areas, discipline is teacher-directed. Fifty years of research demonstrates that person-centered, pro-social classroom management may provide that alternative. Person-centered classrooms facilitate higher achievement, and have more positive learning environments with stronger teacher-student relationships than teacher-centered or traditional classrooms. There are four pro-social learner dynamics that a person-centered classroom management program emulates: (a) social-emotional emphasis, (b) school connectedness, (c) positive school and classroom climate, and (d) student self-discipline. This article shows how the theory and research of a person-centered learning environment can be practically applied to the classroom.