Classroom Management Strategies

There are many classroom management strategies.

Classroom management strategies are employed to help students stay on task and engaged in lessons (Cangelosi 2013). Effective classroom management does not control students but instead urges them to do activities individually and manage themselves through learning (Jones et al 2014). There are many strategies for classroom management (Table 1). Management strategies are not exclusive, and one school or classroom can use or blend several strategies simultaneously to fit their needs.

Some MO districts use multiple management strategies and a blended approach (Springfield Public Schools 2024). Some districts synthesize and develop their own management strategies (Rockwood Public Schools 2024). Others have committed to a single approach (Jackson R-II School District 2022). The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) promotes the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS), a modified style of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) specific to MO (DESE 2024, MO SW-PBS 2024a, University of Missouri 2024). It is practiced by 544 MO schools (20% of all schools) in 2024-2025 (MO SW-PBS 2024b).

Bias, program fidelity, and school culture impact the effectiveness of management strategies.

In MO, Behavioral Intervention Support Team (BIST) management results in spent on processing office referrals than PBIS or (Coult 2014). BIST can be useful for decreasing off task behavior but research has shown it does not meet the needs of students who have experienced trauma (Casey 2023). One study in MO schools demonstrated that office and disciplinary referrals occur at the same rates with BIST, PBIS, or no disciplinary model (Hirschi 2015). However, it also showed that schools with any disciplinary model had fewer Safe School Act Violations. Similarly, Self-Regulation Training Systems (SRTS) were shown to decrease problem behavior compared to classrooms without it (Stran et al 2019).

Research shows that management strategies can perpetuate biases unless mitigated through interventions and training (McIntosh et al 2021). While commonly used programs slightly reduce discipline disparities, white and female identifying students have more positive outcomes than other identities (Cruz et al 2021). Special education instructors using PBIS note that administrative support and ongoing training and development opportunities are key for program and student success (Benedetti 2024). Individual teacher fidelity to programs, including utilizing components of programs (such as types of praise or discipline) at different rates can impact effectiveness, as well (Reinke et al 2012).

Schools have reported positive cultural shifts after the implementation of programs such as PBIS (Norman Fulton 2021). However, school-wide fidelity to programs varies, which can impact success (Beydler 2023).

Classroom management style impacts behavior outcomes.  

While classroom management strategies are techniques to help students with learning, classroom management styles establish the learning environment (Djigic & Stojiljkovic 2011). There are four styles (Aslan 2022):

• Authoritarian – highly structured, strong emphasis on rules, hierarchy between teachers and students, blames students for failures.
• Authoritative – highly structured, strong emphasis on rules, values and expects student contribution and participation in their own learning, sees students as whole people and takes a collaborative responsibility for student failure.
• Permissive/Indifferent – low level of student involvement, control and structure, little to no hierarchy. Teacher indifference toward students and lack of discipline.
• Indulgent/Laissez-faire – high level of student and teacher involvement, low level of control, little to no structure or hierarchy.

Research shows that authoritative and indulgent styles have higher levels of student participation (Aslan 2022).

Other factors, such as teacher attachment styles, conflict management styles, and personal characteristics such as empathy, reliability, imagination, self-control, and anxiety also impact effectiveness at managing classrooms and student behavior (Djigic & Stojiljkovic 2011, Morris-Rothschild & Brassard 2006). Research also shows that teachers’ values play a large role in determining their classroom management style (Barni et al. 2018).

Table 1. Behavioral classroom management strategies.

Non-exhaustive list of strategies and programs used to manage student behavior and the focus or goals of that strategy.

American Institute for Research (AIR) (2024) Good Behavior Game. https://goodbehaviorgame.air.org/

Aslan S (2022) An Analysis of the Primary School Teachers’ Classroom Management Styles in Terms of Some Variables. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching. 9(2): 955-970. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1342691.pdf

Barni D, Russo C, Danioni F (2018) Teachers’ Values as Predictors of Classroom Management Styles: A Relative Weight Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology: Educational Psychology. 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01970

Benedetti G (2024) Enhancing School Culture through Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) Training and Implementation: Insights from Teacher and Administrator Educators. Master’s Thesis. Dominican University of California. https://scholar.dominican.edu/education-masters-theses/83/

Beydler JC (2023) Elementary Administrators’ Perceptions of Effective Classroom Management. Thesis. University of Missouri – Columbia. https://www.proquest.com/openview/0b9bc9f1e22e2ee76208b596ccdc309c/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

BIST (2024) BIST Model & Concepts. https://bist.org/model-concepts/

Cangelosi JS (2013) Classroom Management Strategies. Seventh Edition. Wiley. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rC8IDAAAQBAJ&oi

Casey BL (2023) Teacher Perceptions of the BIST Model: Implementation with Trauma Affected Students. Thesis. University of Central Missouri. https://www.proquest.com/openview/089a1727ab7dbab4fcf0c0b1cf37cd2a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Center for Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS) (2024) PBIS. https://www.pbis.org/

Conscious Discipline (2024) Conscious Discipline Methodology. https://consciousdiscipline.com/methodology/

Coult B (2014) The Effects of BIST on Office Referrals. College of Education & Human Services, Northwest Missouri State University. https://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/researchpapers/2015/Coult,%20Ben.pdf  

Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) (2024) CPI Training for Schools. https://www.crisisprevention.com/industries/education/

Cruz RA, Firestone AR, Rodl JE (2021) Disproportionality Reduction in Exclusionary School Discipline: A Best-Evidence Synthesis. American Educational Research Association. 91(3). https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321995255

Djigic G, Stojiljkovic S (2011) Classroom management styles, classroom climate and school achievement. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. 29: 811-828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.310

Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support (EPIS) (2024) PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies). Penn State University. https://www.episcenter.psu.edu/ebp/paths

Hirschi, GC (2015) A Study of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support and Behavior Intervention Support Teams and Their Impact on Student Behavior in Six Missouri Middle Schools. Thesis. Lindenwood University. https://www.proquest.com/openview/a1d74305522b7a2aa11a086fc9703deb/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750

Jackson R-II School District (2022) Elementary Handbook 2022-2023. https://cdnsm5-ss12.sharpschool.com/Elementary%20Handbook%2022-23%20updated%208.24.pdf

Jones SM, Bailey R, Jacob R (2014) Social-emotional learning is essential to classroom management. Phi Delta Kappan. 96(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721714553405

McIntosh K, Girvan EJ, Fairbanks Falcon S, McDaniel SC, Smolkowski K, Bastable E, Santiago-Rosario MR, Izzard S, Austin SC, Nese RNT, Baldy TS (2021) Equity-focused PBIS approach reduces racial inequities in school discipline: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology. 36(6): 433-444. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/spq0000466

MO SW-PBS (2024a) New to MO SW-PBS? https://pbismissouri.org/

MO SW-PBS (2024b) Participating Schools. https://pbismissouri.org/participating-schools/

MO SW-PBS (2024c) What is Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS)? https://pbismissouri.org/what-is-swpbs/

Morris-Rothschild BK, Brassard MR (2006) Teachers’ conflict management styles: the role of attachment styles and classroom management efficiency. Journal of School Psychology. 44(2): 105-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2006.01.004

Norman Fulton T (2021) Perceptions of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to Build Positive Culture and Climate: A Qualitative Case Study. Thesis. Northcentral University. https://www.proquest.com/openview/fc955c90d019e7fe1fe9d09a21d9be71/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Partnership for Children (2024) Zippy’s Friends for 5-7 year olds. https://www.partnershipforchildren.org.uk/what-we-do/programmes-for-schools/zippys-friends/

Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT) (2021) Good Behavior Game: A Tier1 Classroom Management Strategy. https://www.pent.ca.gov/pbis/tier1/gbg-about.aspx

Reinke WM, Herman KC, Stormont M (2012) Classroom-Level Positive Behavior Supports in Schools Implementing SW-PBS. Identifying Areas for Enhancement. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300712459079

Rockwood School District (2024) Behavior Supports. https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/behavior-supports

Second Step (2024). Our Programs. https://www.secondstep.org/our-programs

Self-Regulation Training System (SRTS) (2024) What is Self-Regulation? http://www.selfregulationstation.com/

Springfield Public Schools (2024) Braided Behavior Support System. https://www.sps186.org/page/braided-behavior-support-systems

Stran BM, Chapin B, Joy EE, Stover B, Maffei AD (2019) Integrating a Self-Regulation Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention in the Classroom. Journal of Applied School Psychology. 36(3): 261-274. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2020.1727600