Effective School Discipline – The Precondition for Successful Teaching

Abstract

Students and their behaviour at school has been the subject matter of many scientific texts. This article aims to present Croatian and international literature of the past 30 years on the subject of school discipline. School and classroom discipline, or lack thereof, is a problem that troubles many schools around the world. The article discusses the epistemological roots of the term discipline. Looking at discipline from a pedagogical point of view, it is not considered to mean unquestioned obedience, but a requirement for achieving a high quality learning and teaching process. As such, discipline does not represent the objective of the teaching process, but rather a means of ensuring optimal and encouraging circumstances, as well as harmonious cooperation between students and teachers. Working in such conditions is characterized by a high degree of commitment and motivation of all participants of the teaching process. The article presents possible causes of indiscipline, the importance of a teacher’s personality in achieving the desired discipline and possible strategies for classroom management. The authors present several suggestions that could help teachers practitioners in establishing and maintaining discipline.

Student Classroom Misbehavior: Teachers' Perspective / Neprimjerena ponašanja učenika iz perspektive učitelja

“…Previous research evidences the negative influence of student misbehaviour not only on student achievement but also on teaching and teachers' job satisfaction. As stated by Klasnić et al (2018), behaviour of today's students can hardly compare to the one of students twenty or more years ago. The authors emphasise these changes are a consequence of the shift in cooperation between students, parents, teachers and the community as a whole.…”

Challenges of Online Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Teachers are expected to participate in the implementation of educational reforms and the creation of the subject curriculum, continuously improve and prepare for teaching, keep up administrative records, and adapt teaching methods to new generations of students growing up in a time of highly developed technology (Chang, 2009;Jurčić, 2014;Miljković, Đuranović, & Vidić, 2019). Furthermore, teachers are expected to create a stimulating classroom environment that will enable the growth and development of each student (Durrant, 2010;Klasnić, Đuranović & Maras, 2018). The teacher should teach students to learn, think critically, solve problems, encourage their creativity, help them develop social and communication skills, train them for teamwork, and for humane and responsible behaviour (Jurčić, 2014).…”