Jacob S. Kounin
Classroom Management
Techniques
http://www.nipissingu.ca/education/mariacw/EDUC4128/Resources/finalkouninpresentation.ppt
Who is Kounin?
Kounin is a classroom behaviourist theorist
Best known for his two studies done in 1970
He wrote the book, "Discipline and Group
Management in Classrooms"
Kounin worked to combine both discipline and
learning in the classroom
Kounin believed that organization and planning
are key to engaging students
This relationship is characterized by proactive
teacher behaviour along with student
involvement in learning
Rationale
Focuses on preventative discipline: using
techniques and strategies to prevent
misbehaviours from occurring.
Case Study:
Give suggestions of what proactive discipline is
Achieving Classroom
Management Through
Preventative Discipline
Key Ideas:
Ripple Effect
“Withitness”
Overlapping
Movement Management
 Smoothness
Momentum
Group Focus and Accountability
Strategy 1: Ripple Effect
By correcting the misbehaviour of one
student it can positively influence the
behaviour of another
Strategy 2: ‘Withitness’
Awareness of what is going on in all parts of
the classroom
Teachers have eyes on the back of their
heads
Classroom layout benefits the teachers
ability to see all students at all times
Strategy 3: Overlapping
When teachers can effectively tend to two or
more events simultaneously
Students are more likely to stay on task if
they know that the teacher is aware of what
they are doing (body language)
Strategy 4: Movement
Management
Smoothness:
Smooth transitions between activities
Momentum:
Appropriate pace and progression through
a lesson
Group Focus and Accountability:
Keep the whole class involved and
interested
When Managing the Classroom,
Try to AVOID :
Dangling:
Teacher leaves a topic and introduces
new, unrelated material
Flip-flop:
like dangling, except that the teacher
inserts left-over materials from a previous
lesson
Avoid…
Thrust:
 teacher forgets to give clear instructions at
the appropriate time of a lesson.
Teacher must then re-explain the
instructions to each student on an individual
level
Stimulus-bound:
Teacher is distracted by an outside stimulus
and draws the class’s attention to it
Classroom Applications
Be aware of what is happening around the
classroom.
Intervene before misbehaviours escalate.
Use routines, explanations and smooth
transitions to gain the attention of the students.
Keep all students involved through constant
supervision and accountability.
Reduce off task behaviour and boredom by
creating challenges, extending tasks, providing
progress and adding variety.
Be able to attend to more than one event at the
same time.
Note: Classroom management is most effective
when these applications are applied at the
beginning of the school year.
References
Kounin 1970
http://www.educ.uvic.ca/epls/faculty/rowles/kounin1.htm
Jacob Kounin
http://scied.gsu.edu/Hassard/mos/10.2.html
Kounin, Jacob from WikEd
http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Kounin,_Jacob
Learning Environment Article from The Premiere Website for Health and
Physical
Education http://www.pecentral.org/climate/april99article.html
Maine Education Association
http://www.maine.nea.org/index.htm
The Kounin Model from Approaches to Discipline
http://www.solwebs.net/sgfl/teaching/discplan/koun1.htm
West Dunbartonshire Council
http://www.wdcweb.info/home/
Standard issues in ordinary lessons:
chatting away
not paying attention
using mobile phone
---> the law of least intervention!
self report card
homework not done / materials not at hand
being late
---> If repeatedly so, keep a record for later use
if disciplinary measures need to be taken.