Teachers’ Use of Student Voice in Behaviour Management Practices: An Exploratory Study

The importance of effective classroom management practices in schools has been well-documented in the literature. However, at a time when research points to the importance of engaging student voice across teaching and learning practice, student voice has not been a focus of behaviour management practice, particularly in mainstream classrooms. This paper reports on a study exploring teachers’ understandings and experiences of incorporating student voice into behaviour management practice at one Australian primary school. Survey data collected from 14 teachers were analysed using simple descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. While teachers were generally supportive of embedding student voice in behaviour management practice, they held misconceptions about what constituted effective strategies for authentically incorporating student voice. Further, teachers were inconsistent in their focus on student voice over time, identifying several barriers to implementation. Findings have implications for policy and practice that seek to elevate the place of student voice in mainstream classroom management.