Promoting professional development of secondary school teachers in Greece: in-school training in managing student behaviour

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to train teachers in managing student behaviour and to investigate the impact on teachers and their students. The training was based on adult-learning and group-leading strategies (development/application) as well as Social-Emotional-Learning and School-Wide-Positive-Behaviour-Supports approaches (content). It consisted of training meetings, coaching and distance learning and was implemented at Thessaloniki middle school, using a neighbouring middle school as the control school. The stability of impacts was checked by follow-up tests after four and twelve months accordingly. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used for data analysis. After completion of training and four months later, an effective behaviour-management methodology and corresponding strategies were developed in the intervention school. Teachers reported increased professional self-efficacy, teachers and students evaluated their school climate more positively and students’ office discipline referrals decreased, compared with the control school. Benefits had decreased a year later, however, they remained increased compared with the control school. Ways to maintain beneficial results and a sustainable in-service teacher professional development policy are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers’ professional development
• students’ behaviour management
• in-school training

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. For more information see Tuckman and Jensen (1977), Rogers (1986) and Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ioanna Papavassiliou-Alexiou

Sofia Moutiaga studied Pedagogy at the Higher Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki, Greece (Bachelor Degree), Psychology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (Bachelor and Postgraduate Degrees) and Adult Education at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece (Postgraduate Degree) where she is currently a PhD candidate. She serves as a secondary school teacher after working for 10 years as a school psychologist in high schools. Her research interests are Educational Psychology, Lifelong Learning and Teacher Education. She has published articles on these topics in Greek and international scientific journals and conference proceedings.

Ιoanna Papavasiliou-Alexiou is an Associate Professor in Guidance and Counselling at the Department of Educational and Social Policy, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece. She did her postgraduate and PhD studies in Guidance and Counselling at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (1991–96). She was also a Visiting Research Fellow at Teachers College – Columbia University, New York (September 1995–April 1996). Her research interests are Lifelong Guidance and Counselling, Career and Professional Development, and Vocational Inclusion of People with Disabilities and other vulnerable groups. On these topics she has published articles in Greek and international scientific journals, conference proceedings and book chapters, while she is a member of the editorial board and a reviewer for international journals on careers.