Jacob Kounin Educational Psychology by Jeffrey Nesmith

Jacob Kounin  Earned a doctorate from Iowa State University in 1939  Appointed to a professorship at Wayne State in 1946  Professor of Educational Psychology  Known for the book: Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms  Focused on group management: the ripple effect

*Good classroom behavior depends on:  Effective lesson management  Effective pacing  Transitions  Alerting Strategies  Individual Accountability  Effective lesson management  Effective pacing  Transitions  Alerting Strategies  Individual Accountability

The Ripple Effect  When teachers correct misbehavior in one student, it often influences the behavior of nearby students. This is known as the ripple effect.

The Ripple Effect Research shows that  Clarity increased conforming behavior of students who witnessed the remarks intended to stop misbehavior.  Firmness increased conformity only in students who were misbehaving at the time.  Roughness did not improve behavior at all; it “upset” the audience students, making them “restless” and “anxious”.

Withitness Teachers must have eyes in the back of their heads!!!!!

WITHITNESS Withitness describes teachers knowing what was going on in all areas of the classroom at all times.

Withitness  Educators must be able to select the right student to correct  Educators must redirect the most serious deviancy when two are occurring simultaneously  Educators must display the proper timing of correction.  Educators must be able to select the right student to correct  Educators must redirect the most serious deviancy when two are occurring simultaneously  Educators must display the proper timing of correction.

Overlapping  Instructors must be capable of attending to two issues at the same time.  Instructors with effective overlapping skills, demonstrates effective withitness

MOVEMENT MANAGE POSITIVE TRANSITIONS NEGATIVE TRANSITIONS  Jerkiness- failure to move smoothly from one activity to the next  Slowdowns- delays that waste time  Teachers over talking rather than focusing on main ideas  Jerkiness- failure to move smoothly from one activity to the next  Slowdowns- delays that waste time  Teachers over talking rather than focusing on main ideas  Routines  Clear directions  Completing one task before starting another  Routines  Clear directions  Completing one task before starting another

Grouping MAIN IDEAS 1) GROUPING FORMAT 2) ACCOUNTABLITY 3) ATTENTION Teachers should 1) Maximum active participation encouraged, Best in large groups 2) All students respond, observe, and ask questions 3) Observe, avoid question patterns, unison responses

KOUNIN’S MODEL TEACHERS MUST:  Know and communicate what is happening at all times in the classroom.  Be able to deal more than one issue at a time.  Correct the appropriate target before misbehavior escalates.  Ensure smooth transitions from one activity to another.  Maintain group focus through alerting and accountability.  Provide nonsatiating learning programs by emphasizing progress, challenge, and variety.

REFERENCE All information provided by: Kounin J. (1971;1977). Discipline and group management in classrooms. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.