Course introduction
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Welcome

I would like to extend to you a sincere welcome to course EDU5322 Teaching students with special needs: behaviour management. Over the course of this semester, we will, together, explore the subject of behaviour management in schools. Discipline ranks as one of the major professional concerns of teachers, and is frequently identified as a significant concern of parents and the broader community. Teacher effectiveness and professional satisfaction is closely linked to behaviour management, as is student achievement. So, the course subject is an important one to all stakeholders in the education process. I hope you share my sense of the subject’s importance, and I hope you find the information provided through this course and the activities you will engage in both useful and stimulating.

Scope and sequence

A concept or content ‘map’ of the course is included in the introductory material. It will give you an idea of what is to be covered during the semester. The approach taken in the course is as follows:

1. There is no generally agreed on approach to effective behaviour management. Views on behaviour management vary according to views on child development, how children learn, and the nature of adult-child relationships.

2. Currently, models of behaviour management can be categorised into one of three broad types: management models, leadership models, and non-directive models. Examples of all three types will be covered in the course.

3. There are no simple, easy, ‘quick-fix’ answers to effective discipline. All models of behaviour management take time and effort to implement.

4. An important goal in teacher professional development is for teachers to acquire the knowledge and understanding to be able to critically review behaviour management practices and to be able to develop and justify their personal approach to the management of student behaviour in the classroom.

Expected student background

Students enrolled in this course come from a number of different backgrounds and courses. While it is an advantage to have a teaching background, the course is not premised on such a foundation and can be successfully completed by students from other academic and professional fields. A keen interest in school discipline and the management of student behaviour in the school context is essential however.

Course overview

Course overview

Course structure

The course is divided into modules. Each module deals with a relatively discrete topic, but together the modules contribute to an understanding of behaviour management. The amount of time you should devote to each module will vary according to the quantity of reading and processing demands, and according to the module’s significance/importance (please refer to the course timetable). Modules have the same general structure:

• Learning outcomes – What is expected you will achieve from studying the material you are introduced to.

• Introduction – Introduction to the topic of the module.

• Lecturer input – Substantive notes/commentary on topics and issues related to the module topic. These will vary in detail and length depending on the quality of the readings available to the student (if one reading says it all in a clear, readable manner, I will not duplicate this in any commentary I may provide).

• Suggested activities – These are activities aimed at focusing your reading and study and getting you actively thinking about/processing the information presented. The activities are not compulsory tasks for the course. They can be modified to suit your particular context/circumstances. Several modules have short quizzes on module content.

• Readings – Compulsory readings over and above your textbook. These are identified in your study material as selected readings.

• Key references for further study – Important additional references students should try to access at some time to gain additional information or further insights into the topic. These are not compulsory readings.

• References – Bibliographic information for references cited in the text of the module.