Time-in: a logical consequence for misbehaving children in primary school

Abstract

Time-In, A Logical Consequence for Misbehaving Students, studied the effects of a primary school discipline program designed and implemented by a trainee school counsellor. The program delivered a series of logical consequences for students’ misbehaviour and a formalized entry point for counselling intervention.

The program was based on a critical incident technique that required teachers to issue infringement notices to misbehaving students who failed to respond to warnings or contravened existing rules regarding safe and responsible behaviour. Counselling and system responses (loss of privileges, parent notification, in school suspension, exclusion) occurred within an established formula dependent on the number of infringements accruing to the student. The school counsellor assumed full responsibility for the collection of infringements, monitoring of on-going student misbehaviour, parental contact and overall management functions of the host school’s discipline program. Counselling sessions and mode of therapy were selected and employed to meet the specific needs of misbehaving students once extended misbehaviour patterns emerged.

Data collected throughout the study’s duration (one year) indicated a decline in the number of recurring offenders and a drop-off in the number of infringements received by those pupils who continued to transgress school policies regarding safe and responsible behaviour. Five hundred and forty—seven infringement notices were issued during the study which resulted in a total of 83 counselling sessions. Male students dominated all categories of misbehaviour and accounted for 86% of the infringements issued. Seventy-seven per cent of infringements issued were from class teacher to students in the class setting.

Three questionnaires were administered at the end of the program to teachers, parents and students. Both parent and teacher questionnaire results supported Time-In procedures but almost half of the students responded negatively to the continuation of the program. Several hypotheses were posited for this outcome.

Date of Award	1993
Original language	English
Supervisor	Sandi Plummer (Supervisor)