PRAISING pupils allows teachers to turn unruly classrooms into well-ordered ones, research by leading educational psychologists has indicated.

The study, by lecturers at Liverpool John Moores University, was prompted by analysis suggesting that teachers who spend time scolding children for disrupting classes fail to improve the performances of their pupils.

Poor discipline is often cited as a reason why teachers turn their backs on the profession and next month an education Bill will give heads and teachers a “clear legal right” to tackle bullies and unruly pupils.

Jeremy Swinson, one of those who conducted the study, said that his “Damascus moment” came when he discovered that a notoriously difficult class in a Liverpool comprehensive only behaved itself when it was treated well by the teacher of a creative design and technology class. “The teacher welcomed them into class and helped them take off their coats before putting on their brown overalls,” he said.

“He then went round praising them . . . and over 50 minutes he praised the kids 78 times and told them off once.”

Dr Swinson designed Four Essential Steps, a package for teachers that advises them to praise and reinforce positive pupil behaviour.

The approach is designed to help teachers to develop a style that leads them not to have to resort to sanctions.

If a teacher must do so, Dr Swinson said, punishments should be “mild and irksome”, short and effective. The pupil should be taken aside and the punishment, such as being held back for ten minutes in the lunch break, should be meted out immediately. “It’s difficult to persuade teachers, because in a way you’re telling people to praise difficult kids, which goes against their natural response,” said Dr Swinson.

But he and Professor Alex Harrop told the Division of Educational and Child Psychology’s annual conference in Bournemouth yesterday that the evidence appeared to show that their methods worked.

A study was carried out at six schools in Trafford and Salford where heads had requested staff training to improve pupils’ behaviour and has since been applied by hundreds of teachers nationally.

After training 19 teachers of infant, junior and secondary school pupils to praise good behaviour — rather than just good work — and ignore indiscipline, the psychologists found that praise for pupils rose on average from filling 54 per cent of time spent in the classroom to 85 per cent. Scolding pupils fell from 46 per cent of time in the classroom before training to 15 per cent afterwards and, after training, an average of 94 per cent of pupils were obeying their teachers.

Dr Swinson insisted, however, that his methods were not revolutionary because everyone responds well to praise. “If you go to a business school and talk about raising performance, no one there will tell you that to raise productivity and motivation you go round telling people off. No, they will tell you to go round looking for good practice and praising what works,” he said.

Next month schools will be given a legal right to discipline pupils by the education Bill and 289 schools will collaborate with each other to set up “cooling-off units”.

Chris Keates, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, was doubtful that the strategy of praise would work in the toughest cases. “Praise to motivate kids is an absolute must, but the sort of disciplinary circumstances that we highlight are where all normal strategies have failed. I don’t think teachers will do anything but raise a sceptical eyebrow to this.”

A spokesperson for the National Union of Teachers agreed that praise was common practice. “It’s long been recognised by parents and teachers that constant criticism is not the best way of achieving goals,” she said.

“But children need clear lines about what is acceptable and unacceptable, so there has to be an element of reprimand to make those divisions between right and wrong very clear.”

HOW TO TACKLE MISBEHAVIOUR

1 Always make requirements absolutely clear — ie, materials needed, permitted noise levels and seating arrangements

2 Remember to look for the behaviour you want rather than the behaviour you do not want

3 Acknowledge pupils frequently when they are doing what is required — but do not be too effusive and give private feedback, particularly to older pupils

4 Change the frequency of the feedback — and remember that telling pupils off is a wasted effort, unless they are told what behaviour is expected

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