Identifying the barriers to alternative approaches for behaviour management in schools

Abstract

Each year, many children are excluded from school in England. Often, exclusion from school is the result of an escalating cycle of challenging behaviour and punitive responses. Despite this, there is still limited use of alternative approaches for behaviour management in schools, with a continued focus on systems of rewards and sanctions. The main aim of this study is to explore senior leaders’ perceptions of the barriers to implementing alternative approaches for behaviour management in schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 senior school leaders and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Key barriers identified included: time and resources; the perceptions of others; and risk aversion. These barriers contribute to the continued use of punitive responses to challenging behaviour in schools. This suggests that there is a need for support to enable schools to overcome these barriers and widen the options available as alternatives to exclusion from school.