Beyond Discipline
To the Study Grant Task Force,
I am seeking to gain through this Study Grant a greater in-depth knowledge of various disciplinary
systems, approaches and models used in different cultures in other countries as well as gain an
understanding of how teachers can use cultural knowledge to better guide their students. As a professor
of Child Development and Education, I encounter a large number of students from a variety of
backgrounds and experiences that observe in public schools as part of their coursework. Students see a
variety of discipline practices. Many students have described guidance practices that appear to be
culturally inappropriate and often question these discipline techniques used by the classroom teachers
they observe.
Through this study I will increase my understanding and knowledge base of various discipline techniques
and systems of different cultures in school climates. Additionally, the knowledge I gain and share with
others will aid in raising awareness and increasing communication and competence in using culturally
appropriate guidance in the classroom environment. In addition to the readings, I would like to design a
guidance model reflecting the cultural and intercultural attitudes and observed experiences of Collin Child
Development and Education students. After the completion of the Study Grant, I will share my
information with my students and colleagues. I will submit proposals to journals and publishers for
publication.
I look forward to the opportunity to study a variety of discipline approaches, and, the impact of culture
and teacher interactions with children from other countries. Thank you for your consideration of this
study grant proposal.
INTRODUCTION
The ever increasing needs of children and the ever changing expectations of society are on a collision
course with the growing demands on our education system. Educators and parents are challenged to
educate all students at an ever-higher level of literacy to meet the demands of an internationally
competitive, technological marketplace, even though societal and other factors cause some of our children
to attend schools ill-equipped emotionally, physically and socially to learn. Schools must respond
accordingly by providing support and guidance for all students to learn effectively.
Educators continue to seek equity for all students through quality programming. The question of what
constitutes a developmentally, culturally sensitive discipline system still exists. Disciplinary techniques
and approaches play an equal role with instructional techniques in ensuring student success.
A high quality disciplinary system benefits the various populations involved in schools. There is a wide
variety of practices in school systems and classrooms. Many students come from other countries where
disciplinary practices are based on their culture which are sometimes in direct conflict with the guidance
practices used in classrooms in the Texas. This conflict can lead to misunderstandings, lack of
achievement and ultimately failure of the child.
RATIONALE
I am seeking to gain through this Study Grant a greater in-depth knowledge of various
disciplinary systems, approaches and models used in different cultures in other countries as well as gain
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an understanding of how teachers can use cultural knowledge to better guide their students. As a
professor of Child Development and Education, I encounter a large number of students from a variety of
backgrounds and experiences that observe in public schools as part of their coursework. Students see a
variety of discipline practices. Many students have described guidance practices that appear to be
culturally inappropriate and often question these discipline techniques used by the classroom teachers
they observe.
Studies have been done on effective guidance practices, however, the array of studies have not
produced a consistent model that includes cultural needs and attitudes in public schools. There are 33%
of children in Texas attending public schools who come from immigrant parents (www.kidscount.org).
The 2011 U.S. Census Bureau report states that 39 percent of the population of Collin County belonged to
races other than Caucasian, and 31 percent of persons in Collin County households spoke a language
other than English as their primary language at home (www.ed.gov.com). These figures highlight the
critical importance of teacher understanding of cultural differences when guiding students in the school
system.
Through this study I will increase my understanding and knowledge base of various discipline
techniques and systems of different cultures in school climates. Additionally, the knowledge I gain and
share with others will aid in raising awareness and increasing communication and competence in using
culturally appropriate guidance in the classroom environment. In addition to the readings, I would like to
design a guidance model reflecting the cultural and intercultural attitudes and observed experiences of
Collin Child Development and Education students. After the completion of the Study Grant, I will share
my information with my students and colleagues. I will submit proposals to journals and publishers for
publication.
Please see the bibliography for additional resources.
SCHEDULE
Weeks 1 – 6: Research academic journals and texts which will include readings regarding
discipline practices in the United States and countries that represent the variety of ethnicities enrolled in
Collin County. In these readings I will explore the questions:
a) What are the historical and current discipline practices in the United States and other
countries?
b) What role does culture play in the use and structure of various discipline practices and
programs?
American Academy of Pediatrics. Guidance for effective discipline. A comprehensive approach that
includes consideration of the parent-child relationship, reinforcement of desired behaviors, and
consequences for negative behavior.
Bailey, B. Conscious discipline: Building resilient classrooms. A classroom approach to socialemotional learning by addressing the adult’s skill set and internal states first, and then empowering
the adult to teach and model these skills with children.
Bailey, B. The little school with joy. A comprehensive guidance management system with an emphasis
on a social and emotional curriculum. It is based on current brain research, child development
curriculum and developmentally appropriate practices.
Bailey, B. Easy to love, difficult to discipline. Seven basic skills for turning conflict into cooperation.
Barakat, I. Positive discipline and child guidance. Positive guidance and discipline are key to promoting
children’s self control, teaching children responsibility, and helping children make thoughtful choices.
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The more effective adult caregivers are at encouraging appropriate child behavior, the less time and effort
parents will have to spend in correcting behavior.
Gay, G. Culturally responsive teaching. This work looks at research and theory related to culturally
inclusive people and environments as it relates to teaching and guidance practices.
Harkness, S. & Super, C. Parenting across cultures. Research on parents and children which identifies
various ways that parents think about child development and their own role as parents, their customs or
practices of care and their children’s environments.
Hofstede, G. Cultures and organizations: Sofware of the mind. This work studies how the place where
we grew up shapes the way we think, feel, and act.
Jackson, J. A sense of place, a sense of time. This work shows how our surroundings reflects important
changes in our culture.
Mallory, B. & New, R. Diversity and developmentally appropriate practices. This work discusses the
narrow aspect of what is considered developmentally appropriate practices by teachers with respect to
variations of culture.
Marion, M. Positive guidance and discipline strategies. A description of positive guidance strategies
beginning with adult behavior.
Nelson, J. Positive discipline. The key to positive discipline is not punishment, but respect. This book
addresses ways to empower parents and children to collaborate and build mutual respect.
Pinto, L. From discipline to culturally responsive engagement. Classroom management consistently
ranks as the first or second most serious educational problem in the United States.
Tuan, Yi Fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Tuan considers the ways in which people
feel and think about space, how they form attachments to home, neighborhood, and nation, and how
feelings about space and place are affected by the sense of time.
Weeks 7 – 12: Research academic journals and texts, which will include readings, both historical and
current regarding the challenges of discipline practices. In these readings I will explore the questions:
a) What are some of the challenges found in discipline practices in school systems? How and
why do they occur?
b) What are best guidance practices in culturally sensitive classrooms?
c) How can I successfully integrate and disseminate the information learned in this study to
students taking child development and education classes?
EEC Child Care Licensing. School-aged child guidance: Technical assistance paper. A paper to explain
developmentally appropriate practices for school aged children.
Hall, E.T. and M. Hall. Understanding Cultural Differences - Germans, French and Americans.
Livermore, D. A. Leading with cultural intelligence: the new secret to success. The author shows leaders
how to connect across any cultural divide, including national, ethnic, and organizational cultures.
Melillo, R. Disconnected kids. A brain balanced program for children with neurological difficulties.
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Pinto, L. From discipline to culturally responsive engagement.
Sampson, S. How to raise a wild child. The art and science of falling in love with nature.
Texas Education Agency. School guidance. A guide to be implemented by school personnel to reduce
drop out rates and improve academic performance.
US Department of Education, Rethinking school discipline. Provides information on how schools and
districts can meet their legal obligations to administer student discipline without discriminating.
Wlodkowski, R. & Ginsberg, M. Diversity and motivation: Culturally responsive teaching. A guide to
culturally responsive pedagogy in higher education that respects diversity, engages the motivation of all
learners, creates a safe, inclusive learning environment, derives teaching practices across disciplines and
cultures, and promotes justice and equity in society.
Weeks 13 – 16. Prepare an annotated bibliography, develop an article for publication and develop a plan
on how to disseminate the information to students and colleagues.
CONCLUSION
My advanced degrees and 41 years of teaching early childhood, elementary school, special education and
child development and education college classes serve to enhance my scholarship in the area of guidance
and discipline. A wide variety of ethnic, religious, gender, and generational groups exist within my
classes and Collin’s school community. It is my goal to gain more knowledge in this area and to share
my findings in venues such as conferences, class presentations, and publications.
Thank you for your consideration.
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WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY
American Academy of Pediatrics. (1998). Guidance for effective discipline. Pediatrics, 101(4), 723-728.
Bailey, B. (2014). Conscious discipline: Building resilient classrooms. Loving Guidance, Inc.
Bailey, B (2000). Easy to love, difficult to discipline. Loving Guidance, Inc.
Bailey, B. (2008). The little school with joy. The Little School Development Group, LLC.
Barakat, I. (2007). Positive discipline and child guidance. University of Missouri Extension.
EEC Child Care Licensing. (2010). School-aged child guidance: Technical assistance paper. Boston, MA:
Early Education and Care.
Gay, G. (2002). Culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education,53(106).
Hall, E.T. and M. Hall. (1993). Understanding Cultural Differences - Germans, French and
Americans. Boston, MA: Intercultural Press.
Harkness, S. & Super, C. (2009). Parenting across cultures. SGI Quarterly.
Hofstede, G. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Jackson, J. (Ed.) (2012). The Routledge Handbook of Communication and Intercultural
Communication. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge.
Livermore, D. A. (2010). Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The new secret to success. New
York: American Management Association.
Mallory, B. & New, R. (1994). Diversity and developmentally appropriate practices. Teacher’s College
Press.
Marion, M. (2010). Positive guidance and discipline strategies. Excerpt from Guidance of Young
Children (pp.80-100), Prentice Hall.
Melillo, R. (2010). Disconnected kids. New York: Penguin Book.
Nelson, J. (2006). Positive discipline. New York: The Random House Publishing Company.
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Pinto, L. (2013). From discipline to culturally responsive engagement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Sampson, S. (2015). How to raise a wild child. CA: High Bridge Company.
Yi-Fu Tuan. (2001). Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. University of Minnesota
Press.
Texas Education Agency. School guidance
US Department of Education, Rethinking school discipline.
Wlodkowski, R. & Ginsberg, M. Diversity and motivation: Culturally responsive teaching.
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