Theories of Democratic Teaching

(Rudolf Dreikurs)
Presented by,
Hiew Wei Meng
Roghini Paramasivam
Tuan Nurul Atikah Tuan
Idzawi
Lecturers Name:
Mdm. Nur Adeela Othman

DEFINITION/DESCRIPTION
OF THE THEORY

Definition / Description of the

Theory
Key theory : students should be given the
freedom to do things that they want rather
than to be forced in doing things they do
not like.
Teacher and students work together to
make decisions about how the class will
function.
A good teacher-students relationship
generate good discipline among the
students.

Definition / Description of the

Theory
4 key concepts :
Based on Manning & Butcher, 2007:
Democratic Teaching :
Teachers use democratic procedures to develop a spirit of
trust & cooperation among the students.
When there is trust and cooperation among the students,
then it will be easier for the teacher to control the
classroom.

Encouragement:
Encouragement should be used in the classroom rather
than praising the students.
Encouragement will be given when the students are doing
their task during the lesson. For example: Nice try, I can
see that you are working hard.
On the other hand, praises will only be given once the task
is done. For example : Wow, what a great job you have
done!

Definition / Description of the

Theory
Mistaken Goals:
Students misbehave to achieve one of four
purposes:
attention getting
They want the teachers attention when the teacher is
teaching in the class. For example: Ali is disturbing his friend
who sits beside him during the lesson.

power seeking
Some of the students feel they are powerful enough in the
classroom to disobey the teachers instruction and order.

revenge
Teachers have punished the student for a minor mistake.
Consequently, the student hates the teacher.

feelings of inadequacy
Students who do not have good learning skills in learning the
language leads them to misbehave in the classroom.

Definition / Description of the

Theory

Logical Consequences:
Establishing classroom rules & implement logical consequences
should be used rather than punishments for broken rules &
misbehaviour.
Teachers use logical consequences to counsel the students when
they have done wrongly. For example: If Mary does not finish her task
in the classroom, then shell have to bring it home as homework.
Punishment can only be used when all logical consequences have
been exhausted.

Definition / Description of the

Theory
3 types of teachers:
Autocratic teachers : Harsh boss
The teachers are strict and do not listen to any
explanation from the students. This will lead to students
misbehaving in the classroom.

Permissive teachers : Uninvolved and no

expectations
The teachers do not care about what is going on with their
students in the classroom.

Democratic teachers : Support internal motivation

and responsibility
The teachers motivate the students and teach them about
the importance of responsibility in life.

THE
APPROACHES/STRATEGIES
THE THEORY OFFERS

Strategies of the Theory

Teachers should provide lessons with social interest in mind.
Teacher provides a lesson in which will make the students
interested in communicating with the teacher through Questions
and Answers.

Teachers should provide the students a good environment

which leads them to have the sense of belongings feelings.
Teachers include all of the students when it comes to group
activities so that they will not feel they are being left out.

Teachers and students should come up with a set of

classroom rules together.
There should be mutual respect between teachers and students so
that misbehaving in the classroom will not happen.

Strategies of the Theory

Teachers should come out with a lesson plan where the
students have the freedom to choose in carrying out
activities of the lesson.
Students will have the chance to choose the activity that they like
in a lesson plan which has variety of group activities.

Avoid power struggles.

Teachers should not be hit back at students when they are trying
to misbehave in the classroom. Teachers can give them the
chance to give instruction or direct their friends in the activities
during lesson.

Encourage students who display inadequacy.

Teachers should encourage them as a intrinsic motivation for
them to keep learning.

Encouragement should be used rather than praises.

Provide students with logical consequences and avoid
punishment.

THE STRENGTHS AND

WEAKNESSES OF THE
THEORY

STRENGTHS
Facilitates the teachers in identifying
the cause for pupils misbehaviour.
This theory aids teachers in
understanding the goals students are
trying to achieve by their actions.
Positive way of promoting
communication and respect between
teacher and students.

 Promotes autonomy by allowing

students to take responsibility for
their actions and choices.
Helps students make the connection
between their behaviour and the
consequences of their behaviour.

 This theory was developed by

representing a shift from a
behavioural focus on discipline to a
more humanistic approach based on
the concept that the motivation and
goals of student behaviour must be
considered in the development of
discipline plan.

 Dreikurs rejected the use of punishment.

Punishment can promote revenge and cause
pupils to feel that they can retaliate (Dreikurs
& Cassel , 1972)
Students associate the punishment not with
their own actions but with those of their
punisher (Queen, Blackwelder, & Mallen,
1997)
Nelson (1987) agrees that too often
punishment creates what she calls the four
Rs of punishment: resentment, revenge,
rebellion, and retreat.

 Punishment should be replaced with

logical consequences.
Logical consequences teach children
to understand, anticipate, and make
decisions based on the consequences
of their actions in the real world
(Nelsen, Lynn & Gleen, 2000).
Helps students change their mistaken
goals and assumptions for some that
are more useful.

 Democratic teacher and classroom support

effective learning
Dreikurs suggested the importance of
belongingness in the classroom.
This model emphasises on the importance of
giving encouragement rather than praises.
E.g:
Praise: Ali, you are very clever. You got the
highest
mark in the English examination.
Encouragement: Ali, teacher realised that you
did well in your English examination this time
around compared to the previous ones.

WEAKNESSES
Logical consequences are not always
readily apparent or easily devised.
According to (Morris, 1996), first
year-teachers may have a difficult
time identifying and understanding
students motives for misbehaviour,
because children often send false or
mixed signals.

 It is impossible for even veteran

teacher to determine the goal of each
childs behaviour (Queen,
Blackwelder, & Mallen, 1997).
Even after teachers have established
the motives for misbehaviour, it may
still be difficult to know how to
respond to inappropriate behaviour.
Logical consequences may be difficult
to difficult to apply in challenging on
the spot issues.

 Kohn (1996) states that it is difficult

to differentiate between punishment
and logical consequences.
There is question whether is there a
real difference between Dreikurs
model and other models (Canter
model, Kounin Model) that promote
punishment for misbehaviour.

 While negotiating the curriculum and

allowing students to have input into
school governance is a worthy goal it is
often difficult to achieve this in practice.
Teacher responsibility includes adequate
supervision and the safety of students at
all times, how successfully the students
achieve and the curriculum taught.
Students may have some input in some
areas but there are other areas that are
exclusive rights of the teacher (Edwards &
Watts, 2008)

PRACTICALITY OF THE
THEORY IN THE LOCAL ESL
CLASSROOM

Practicality of theory in local ESL

classroom
This theory is practical to be used in
the ESL classroom in Malaysia.
The key aspect to this theory is that
a student should be given choices
to rectify his misbehavior, and not
be forced to behave as directed.
This coincides with the needs of the
current students in Malaysia.

Dreikurs believed that inappropriate

behaviour of the students are caused
by series of mistaken goals:
- To gain attention
eg: talking to other students, making
noise when the teacher is in front of
the class.

- To gain power
Eg: refuse to do the homework, do not
obey the teacher

- To seek revenge
Eg: stealing, vandalism,
fighting with other students

-Displaying inadequacy
Eg: isolates themselves from the group
work, class activities, refuse to
participate

 Since the misbehavior suggested by

Dreikurs still exist in todays ESL
classroom, therefore, it is practical to
use some of the strategies
mentioned in the classroom.
In fact,it has been clearly stated that
the theory can have tremendous
power in helping the students to
achieve accountability for their
choices( Nelsen, Lott & Glenn 2000).

 The logical consequences is practical

to be used in the local ESL classroom
as the students nowadays are more
rebellious compare to those days.
The students cannot be forced to do
things that they do not like or not
within their interest.
If not handle correctly, the students
misbehavior might become worse.

 The logical consequences teaches the

students to make right of what they have
done wrong.
Canter Model- students acceptance for
the consequences that they have to face
if they have done wrong.
For instance, if a student does not
complete her work during class, she is
required to do it for homework. If the
theory is practiced in the classroom, the
student would know in advance the
consequences of her misbehavior.

 In the technique, the students are

suggested to take part in deciding what
consequences should be given when
misbehavior occur.
This gives them a sense of
understanding for the reasons behind
rules and consequences.
For example: A student did not finish his
homework . As a result, he is assigned to
write an essay. The student has to agree
to the consequences as he involved in
deriving it.

 This theory develops a sense of

autonomy and accountability in the
students.
Since many activities in ESL
classroom require students to work
and think independently, hence
building students with a higher
degree of autonomy and
responsibility would lead to an
effective learning.

 Another strategy that Dreikurs

mentioned was democratic teaching
technique.
This technique is also suitable to be used
in the ESL classroom as it involved both
the teacher and student in the decision
making process.
In todays class, the students have their
own way of thinking. The teacher needs
to relate and understand the motives and
goals of the students to minimize
misbehavior in the classroom.

 If the students opinion and idea are

considered in creating the rules in
the classroom, it would help the
students to gain a sense of belonging
in the classroom.
This corresponds with Dreikurs
believe that the students and
teachers should collaborate in order
to create effective teaching and
learning environment.

References
Charles, C. M. (2008). Building Classroom Discipline Tenth
Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
Everston, C. , Emmer, T. E, Worsham, M. (200)).
Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers (6th
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Goh, S. C. (2005). Classroom Management: Creating
Positive Learning Environments (2nd ed.). Singapore:
Pearson Education Ltd.
Hardin, C. J. (2008). Effective Classroom Management:
Models And Strategies for todays Classroom (2nd ed.)
(pp. 81-97). New Jersey: Pearson Education Ltd.

 Landau, B. M. (2004). The Art of Classroom

Management: Building Equitable Learning
Communities(2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education
Ltd.
Myint S. K., Quek, C. L, Angela, F. L., Lourdusamy.
(2005). Classroom Management: Facilitating Teaching
and Learning. Singapore: Pearson Education Ltd.
-. Example Extract of Dreikurs. Retrieve on 29th January
2013
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Dreikurs%2
0abstract.htm
-. Theories in Classroom Management. Retrieve on 29th
January 2013
http://smgaza.iweb.bsu.edu/portfolio/resources/Classro