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Self-regulation

Is the direction of student behaviour implicit and self-regulatory?

Explanation
Continuum of practice
Example

Explanation

High implicit control is identified by teachers not making or not having to make statements that aim to discipline students' behaviour (e.g., 'you're not being good today, put your pens away') or to regulate students' bodily movements and dispositions (e.g., 'sit down', 'stop talking', 'eyes this way').

Low implicit control is identified by teachers who devote a substantial amount of verbal work to disciplining behaviour and regulating student movement.

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Continuum of practice

Teachers devote over half of their classroom talk issuing orders, commands and injunctions, and punishments to regulate student behaviour, movement and bodily disposition.

It appears that more time and effort is devoted to control than to teaching and learning.
Teachers must regulate students' behaviour several times during a lesson, perhaps focusing on specific groups or individuals who are out of control; however, the lesson proceeds coherently.
There is virtually no teacher talk which focuses on student behaviour or movement. The lesson proceeds without interruption.

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Example

A year 8 Social Studies teacher wrote two letters about an event that might have occurred in the classroom the day before. The two letters were written from different perspectives, one from that of the teacher and one from the perspective of a student. The views presented were largely divergent around the same issue.

The teacher very cleverly and creatively utilised discussion about these two letters to pursue the issue of evidence in historical research and writing and historiography. Many issues were raised, including, power and the production of knowledge and its links to veracity, along with knowledge/power relationships. There was also extensive discussion about the creation of historical narratives and analysis and the use of historical sources.

One of the striking features of this lesson was the studious and enthusiastic way in which the students engaged in this activity. Because of its perceived relevance they were eager to pursue the discussion and monitored their own and their peers' behaviour. This ensured a range of contributions from some of the less vocal students.

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