Engaged classrooms through effective classroom management

Students learn best in well-managed classrooms. AERO’s classroom management resources support teachers to create safe and supportive learning environments through evidence-based practices.

A group of children in a classroom with their hands up

About the project

Evidence shows that students learn best when they are engaged and learning in well-managed classrooms. Classroom management is crucial for both teachers and students as it sets the tone for the learning environment and significantly influences educational outcomes. It is essential the classroom management practices employed are based on the best available evidence to ensure they have maximum impact and efficiency for teachers and students.

Sustaining a positive and supportive classroom environment that is focused on learning is a complex task. Teachers and school leaders benefit from clear guidance and tools to apply evidence-based practices and approaches.

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has already published a guide for teachers that explains how focused classrooms support learning, as well as follow-up implementation support, including an implementation checklist and case studies of effective practice.

In February 2023, the Australian Government Minister for Education commissioned AERO to undertake a project to support improved learning through effectively managed and engaged classrooms.

This project expands on AERO’s existing work through the development of classroom management resources that are evidence-based and align with the science of how students learn. These resources have been developed in consultation with teachers, school leaders and experts, and demonstrate how to explicitly teach and model expectations for behaviour to support student learning.

Engaged classrooms and classroom management

Classroom management maximises students’ on-task learning time by minimising disruptive behaviour and disengagement. It involves establishing routines to actively engage students in their learning, consistently applying rules and explicitly modelling appropriate behaviour so students know what is expected of them and establishing high expectations for students learning.

Student engagement in learning is multifaceted and can be viewed as the means and end goal of learning. Engagement supports students to feel a sense of belonging and purpose as a learner. It encompasses students’ behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement – essentially, how students behave, feel and think as they undertake learning activities. The influence of teachers is pivotal to students’ engagement.

The resources

Our first release includes a discussion paper – Effectively Managing Classrooms to Create Safe and Supportive Learning Environments – and a suite of foundational resources that cover the most important evidence-based practices, identified by AERO, for effective classroom management. These foundational resources are designed to support beginning teachers, teachers working in new environments, or experienced teachers who want to refine or refresh specific elements of their classroom management practice. Teachers and leaders can work through the resources using the Classroom Management Resources: User Guide.

Further classroom management resources will be released in 2024.

The full suite of classroom management resources can be accessed through the Classroom Management Resources: User Guide.

Feedback

You can help refine AERO's classroom management resources and contribute to plans for future resources by providing feedback via our feedback form.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Engaged Classrooms Through Effective Classroom Management Program.