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I. Context and Rationale

One of the biggest challenges many teachers face is making sure

that their classroom is focused and free of distractions. Classroom

management allows teachers to keep their class moving forward and

stop disruptions from occurring. Through effective classroom

management techniques, teachers can control their classroom’s

direction and learning style, ensuring that students can learn in an

effective environment that is free of distractions.

Classroom management is a process that allows teachers to

control the learning and direction of their classroom. Teachers use

classroom management to keep students focused on learning while

preventing disruption from slowing the learning process. A wide range

of classroom management techniques are used by teachers, ranging

from hands-off classroom management focused on cooperation to

direction of the class to ensure students do not distract their peers.

Since classroom management keeps classes on track, it is one of the

most fundamental aspects of high-quality education.

Teachers face a variety of classroom management challenges.

These can include disruptive students that slow or interrupt the pace of

learning and ineffective or poorly thought out management techniques

that worsen student behavior (Johnston, 2019). Classroom

management is especially challenging for kindergarten teachers or early

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childhood educators. This is especially because kindergarten is a

child’s first formal experience in schooling.

Pre-school education can be defined as the process of

development and education which covers the years from the year he or

she was born to the day they start basic education and plays an

important role in the later lives of children and during which physical,

psychomotor, social-emotional, cognitive and language development

are mostly finished and the personality given at the families and

institutions are shaped. Performing the pre-school education at the

desired quality depends on the selection and planning of the physical

conditions, program and the staff appropriately.

Teachers, while performing teaching activities, need to acquire

skills in classroom management issues, such as rulemaking,

establishing healthy communication with children, changing unwanted

behaviors, effective time management and class order. The role of the

teacher in the classroom to create a positive atmosphere is based on a

well-organized management.

Teachers' effective classroom management has influence on the

student achievement and development of positive attitudes toward

school. Another aspect of effective classroom management of teachers

is to be able to successfully manage unwanted behavior. Understanding

the underlying causes and the behavior of undesirable behavior by the

teachers is important to foresee the unwanted behavior and to solve it in

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an accurate approach when it occurs. Teachers need strategies related

to the class management while taking care of the undesirable behavior

(Aygun, Yildizbas, and Aygun, 2014).

Classroom management can often be the difference between a

focused classroom that achieves its educational goals and a classroom

that falls behind the average in its category. As a teacher,

understanding of classroom management and the ability to apply

classroom management techniques gives the power to keep the entire

classroom focused on achieving its objectives and become

academically productive. Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments

are an important part of supporting the learning and development of

infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help

prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of

interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities.

One strategy to use in managing the classroom is through the

use of incentives and rewards. Students become motivated to achieve

and conform to appropriate behaviors when either intrinsically or

extrinsically rewarded. Those students who prefer intrinsic motivation

enjoy praise, personally challenging projects and accomplishing

educational tasks just for the love of learning. An extrinsic approach

requires more tangible rewards such as pencils, erasers, stickers, and

sometimes candy. The type of reward given to students must be fair

and consistent for all students but also must vary for each task.
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Drexler (2010), on the other hand, conducted a study that

focused on teachers’ attitudes about rewards in the classroom. She

found that majority of teachers thought that rewards can help increase

participation and academic achievement. Thus, incentives and rewards

clearly play a significant role in both the teaching and learning process.

In line with these, the researcher seeks to conduct this research

to provide information about the use of various incentives and rewards

in managing the kindergarten classroom. Through this research,

possible classroom management techniques may be designed to help

kindergarten teachers improve their skills in managing their learners.

II. Brief Review of Literature

Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and

techniques that teachers use to ensure that their classroom runs

smoothly, without disruptive behavior from students. According to

teacher Ben Johnson, it boils down to having a structured learning

environment with clear rules that promote learning as well as

consequences that diminish or eliminate behaviors that get in the way of

learning.

This can look different depending on which subject and age group

a teacher teaches, how many students there are, and most importantly,

core personality. What works for a type-A, highly organized, routine-

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loving teacher may not work for a more laid back, roll-with-the-punches

kind of teacher.

The goal for any teacher is an academically productive classroom

with focused, attentive, and on-task students. Unfortunately, any

teacher can tell that this is way harder than it sounds and usually takes

years to accomplish. Even for teachers who consider themselves

relatively skilled managers, things often change depending on the new

mix of students they teach every year. So really, being skilled at

management is an ongoing process, part of the lifelong learning that

makes teaching so interesting (Mulvahill, 2018).

Effective classroom management can often be the difference

between a classroom that is focused and attentive and a classroom in

which students struggle to achieve their educational objectives.

Teachers face a variety of choices when it comes to classroom

management. While some teachers take a direct approach to managing

and directing their classrooms, others focus on building a friendly,

collaborative relationship with their students (Mulvahill, 2018).

Effective classroom management is extremely important for

ensuring students can learn in an environment that’s free of disruption.

Good classroom management is a vital component of ensuring students

reach their full academic potential. When teachers can effectively

control the direction and behaviour of a classroom, students are likely to

achieve improved academic results. This makes an effective classroom

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management system essential for teachers and students alike. High

quality classroom management lets teachers control the direction that

their classroom takes while preventing students from causing

disruptions to their peers and setting back their potential to learn

(Johnston, 2019).

Classroom management is arguably the single most challenging

set off skills to master as a teacher and certainly one of the most

important. Classroom management includes establishing rules and

limits and enforcing them with appropriate consequences (which also

need to be meaningful. This also includes establishing routines which is

best done during the first couple or few weeks, even the first month, of

school. This would include modeling, practicing, and supporting kids in

the routines for circle, centers, getting water, bathroom, snack, lunch,

basically everything you do during the day. Each should be modeled,

and kids should be reminded and redirected, and consequences should

be enforced for all routines (Johnston, 2019).

In addition, classroom management includes developing positive

relationships with students by talking with them, playing with them,

paying attention to what interests them. Communicating and modeling

expectations are also important as well as managing transitions

smoothly as to not lose time and control of the kids, keeping activities

interesting as to keep kids engaged. This usually includes differentiating

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activities so that they are not too hard or too easy and posting the daily

schedule so that all can see it and access it (Johnston, 2017).

Teachers are responsible for maintaining a positive learning

environment in the classroom. Managing a classroom is not an easy

task. A classroom that is out of control yields lower achievement for

students and high burnout rates for teachers. Teachers must implement

structure, develop positive student interaction and take immediate

action when problems arise. Maintaining control from the beginning

provides a foundation for effective classroom management (Johnston,

2019).

Effective classroom management is rooted in a culture of caring.

Teachers set the tone for the classroom. If the classroom climate

encourages participation and risk taking, students are more likely to

become involved in the learning process. Teachers should use a

nurturing approach and invest in each student on an individual basis.

Group projects can serve as a vehicle to build a collaborative

environment that invites a team-centric learning environment. When

students sense a teacher is committed to their success, they are more

likely to conform to classroom guidelines and specific behavioral goals

(Johnston, 2019).

Teachers should begin the year with clear expectations of

classroom behavior. If students are aware of what is and isn’t

acceptable, they are more likely to be positive contributors in the

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classroom. Teaching an understanding of social skills and how to face

adversity needs to be part of the regular classroom curriculum. Outlining

consequences for unacceptable behavior will help students develop

critical thinking skills and become better decision-makers. Teachers

need to align behavioral expectations with school and district policies

and make this information clear to parents (Johnston, 2019).

Providing accountability strategies is critical to classroom

management. Teachers should have a system for evaluating behavior.

Monitoring behavior on a regular basis will aid in long-term success.

Students need to be made aware that the evaluation process will be

based upon their interactions with others in and out of the classroom.

Verbal and non-verbal behavior should be included in the assessment.

Teachers should share feedback about behavior with individual

students and parents in a parent-teacher conference. If parents are

aware of issues as they arise, they can reinforce expectations and

consequences at home (Johnston, 2019).

Teachers should determine the cause of troubling behavior

before attempting to correct it. Reflecting upon the factors influencing a

problem will provide a framework for intervention. For example, if a child

is regularly misbehaving when he or she is sitting next to a specific

friend, rearranging seating may be the answer. When possible, teachers

should help students learn how to control and modify their behavior

before it escalates into a larger issue. Teachers need to work together

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to reinforce intervention strategies. This will underscore behavioral

expectations and maximize success (Meier, 2019).

Early childhood classrooms are wonderful places for children to

learn the social skills necessary for entry into kindergarten and later

school success. Research indicates that the structure of the classroom

environment, paired with planned instruction, supports the development

of social emotional skills as well as prevents behavioral issues (Meier,

2019).

Teachers can be proactive and prevent misunderstandings by

employing management techniques that help make the early childhood

classroom an exciting, enjoyable, comfortable place for both children

and teacher. These techniques include setting and keeping the

appropriate mood, establishing clear expectations, using songs and

other transitions for procedures, using literature as examples of

behaviour, being positive, keeping it fair, and, perhaps most importantly,

having a sense of humour (Meier, 2019).

As popularly stated by Vygotsky, children’s learning begins long

before they attend school and that any learning a child encounters in

school always has a previous history. The excellence of a child’s early

environment and the accessibility of proper experiences at the exact

stages of development are vital in formatting the strength or flaw of the

brain’s architecture, which, consecutively, verifies how well he or she

will be able to reason and to control emotions. It is significant to get a

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comprehension of the preschool surroundings about the way the

children study and that the social and intellectual qualities of teachers

and parents have a persuasive power on the children. Furthermore,

there is a difference in the way preschool and school children learn.

Children are born as being inquisitive, energetic, passionate motivated,

risk taking, thinking and do the impossible, creative, can see the end

product, try over and over again and can learn through mistakes (Meier,

2019).

The potential for enhancing child outcomes by improving the

environments in which they are supported and in which they learn in

early childhood is implied in the key finding that the differences between

school types were more noticeable than between social status groups.

This gives impetus not only to the understanding about what makes the

difference to children’s outcomes but also to the action that is required

based on that understanding – namely, that we can make a difference if

we construct the learning environments children need. The follow-up to

the profiles study demonstrated what happens if these changes are not

made. Children need to know what is expected of them. Teachers

should make sure that everyone knows what to do, how to do it, and

when to do it by setting clear expectations (Warner & Lynch, 2011).

Children and teachers should establish classroom rules together.

As they work cooperatively with the teacher, children realize they have

ownership over the rules and the classroom. The teacher should guide
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children to establish only a small number of rules, so they will be easier

to remember and follow. In addition, rules should be stated positively,

rather than including phrases such as “no” or “do not.” (Warner & Lynch,

2011).

After establishing classroom rules, teacher and children need to

discuss the meaning of the rules and why it is important to have and

follow rules. Discussions could be followed with role-playing the various

rules established for the class. Children are more likely to follow rules

when they understand the purpose of certain rules and why it is

important to follow them (Essays, UK, 2018).

Mood and setting include physical elements of the classroom and

an atmosphere of mutual respect. It is the teacher’s responsibility to set

and keep this atmosphere. To create a sense of mutual respect, the

teacher must show the children that she supports their learning

endeavors, trusts them to do what they know is appropriate, and cares

for their well-being (Essays, UK, 2018).

Children will learn from the teacher’s example and will, in turn,

show respect for the teacher and for classmates. Another aspect of

respect is for the teacher to actively listen to children as they talk to her.

One way a teacher can demonstrate this respect is to physically place

herself at the level of the child with whom she is talking. This helps

children understand that the teacher values them and is interested in

what they say and think. Similarly, it is important to take time to explain
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things in ways that children can understand, such as using appropriate

vocabulary for the age of the child and giving easily understood

directions (Essays, UK, 2018).

It is also very important for children to feel ownership of the

classroom. This can be accomplished by letting them help organize and

decorate the room, which engenders feelings that it is their classroom,

not just the teacher’s. One teacher has a bulletin board with a large tree

cut-out. All children have nametags in the shape of apples, and they

place the apple on the tree with Velcro when they arrive each day

(Essays, UK, 2018).

The most important thing to remember as an early childhood

teacher is to have a sense of humour. When teachers enjoy their work

and enjoy the children, the early childhood classroom becomes a much

happier place. Laughing with the children makes the day enjoyable and

strengthens relationships between teacher and child. Teachers are

encouraged to look for humour in situations and jot down funny things

children say. Perhaps most important of all, remembering humorous

stories, instead of dwelling on frustrations, goes a long way towards

making teachers’ jobs enjoyable and helps teachers look forward to

returning to school (Essays, UK, 2018).

To successfully manage early childhood classrooms, teachers

have to first recognize their crucial role. Teachers set the mood and

determine whether interactions in the classroom will be positive or

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negative and guide children into appropriate school behaviours. This

article has presented key ideas that enable teachers of young children

to be successful in creating a classroom that runs smoothly, considers

the importance of children’s collaboration in establishing classroom

climate, and is conducive to learning. When expectations are clear,

routines and behaviour management are consistent, and children feel

valued and respected, the early childhood classroom becomes a happy,

healthy environment in which young children flourish (Essays, UK,

2018).

Having a classroom reward system is important. For one,

motivating young students to participate in their own learning can be

difficult. Having them practice good behavior on a daily basis can be

even harder. Humans need motivation. As people mature, most of them

become intrinsically motivated. This means that they can motivate

themselves from within based on internal desires to do something —

such as reading because they genuinely enjoy it and not just because

they are told to (Dean, 2019).

However, this is a tough concept for children. Children are more

susceptible to extrinsic motivation. This is why early childhood

educators should consider implementing a classroom reward system.

This is most especially important when classroom issues such as failing

grades, incomplete assignments or homework, low student motivation

and interest, chronic behavior problems, refusal to do work, poor

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attention and focus and student arguments are encountered (Dean,

2019).

A classroom reward system can lead to better academic

performance, better behavior, more effective learning for students with

special needs, and a more harmonious relationships among students,

parents, and teachers. Furthermore, incentives and rewards promote

appropriate behavior. Extending a reward to students helps to promote

positive and appropriate behavior among students in your class.

Following class rules, being kind to one another and keeping safety a

priority are just a few of the positive behaviors to be displayed in your

classroom through the gifting of rewards to the students (Dean, 2019).

Through appropriate student behavior, teachers can concentrate

on lesson content and interactive activities to indulge students in

learning opposed to focusing on classroom discipline. Rewards also

pave the way for motivation for full effort on classroom tasks. Students

often give less than full effort when attempting class projects,

assignments, classwork and various tasks (Dean, 2019).

Through a reward-based system, students will show interest and

increased participation in everyday classroom duties and

responsibilities. Motivating students to learn is part of the challenge that

instructors face when teaching content and giving rewards will result in

more effort on the part of the student. In addition, rewards lead to

completed homework and projects. Reinforcing subject matter is the

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primary goal of assigning homework for students and without homework

completion, students are not able to practice accomplishing the content

of the lesson. Promote a grasp of the lesson by rewarding the students

for completed projects and homework assignments both in groups and

individually (Dean, 2019).

Lastly, rewards produce happy students. Successful students are

happy students and in order to have a classroom of happy students,

teachers may use a reward system. Encourage students to be

productive in learning both at home and in school by offering rewards.

Rewards tend to create a feeling of pride and achievement among

students thus motivating them to be more productive (Dean, 2019).

III. Research Questions

Generally, the study aims to determine how kindergarten

behavior can be managed through various incentives and rewards.

Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following questions.

1. How may the classroom behavior of kindergarten learners can be

assessed on terms of

1.1. following rules and regulations;

1.2. classroom interactions; and

1.3. management of self?

2. To what extent do incentives and rewards influence behavior

management in the kindergarten classroom?

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3. Based on the analysis, what classroom management techniques

may be proposed?

IV. Scope and Limitation

This study focused on the management of kindergarten behavior

through various incentives and rewards. The study includes the

assessment of the classroom behavior of kindergarten learners in terms

of following rules and regulations, classroom interactions, and

management of self. This also aims to determine to what extent

incentives and rewards influence behavior management in the

kindergarten classroom. In addition, the study aims to propose

classroom management techniques based on the analysis.

The study will use mixed methods in data gathering and

interpretation. Specifically, the study will use the survey and interview

techniques in collecting data. The population and sample will be limited

to the ___________________________. The study will use a

researcher-made questionnaire for data collection. Data gathered will

be subjected to weighted mean, composite mean, and ranking. Since

the study will focus on the personal responses of the respondents, it is

possible that the results may not be as objective as desired. The

varying personal circumstances of each of the respondents may

significantly affect the results of the study.

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V. Significance of the Study

This study may be beneficial to the following:

To school administrators, this study may help provide an idea

about the situation of the concerned teachers and provide options for

the development of programs and policies that may further enhance

the teaching-learning process especially when it comes to

management of behavior.

To teachers, this study may help them further improve the

strategies they use in managing the behavior of their learners. This

study may provide them with more knowledge about the behavior of

their learners and with techniques they can use to be able to handle

their learners more effectively.

To the kindergarten learners, this may be beneficial to the

students since this may help create a classroom that is more

harmonious and more conducive to learning.

To parents, this study may also them since this may help

improve the behavior of the kindergarten learners. This study may

serve as a helping hand to them in guiding and disciplining their

children. In addition, this study may help their children learn more

effectively and even become better individuals.

To future researchers, this study may serve as a reference for

future related studies

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VI. Methodology

Research Design

This study will use the descriptive research design. This

research design aims to observe a phenomenon as it occurs naturally.

Descriptive research is research used to “describe” a situation,

subject, behavior, or phenomenon. It is used to answer questions of

who, what, when, where, and how associated with a research

question or problem. Descriptive studies are often described as

studies that are concerned with finding out “what is”. It attempts to

gather quantifiable information that can be used to statistically analyze

a target audience or a subject. Description research is used to

observe and describe a research subject or problem without

influencing or manipulating the variables in any way. It primarily

focuses on describing the nature of a demographic segment

(Creswell, 2014).

Furthermore, this research will use both qualitative and

quantitative research methods. Specifically, this research will use the

survey and interview techniques in collecting data.

Subjects of the Study

The study will be conducted among the

___________________________. Respondents will be chosen based

on their capabilities to provide the needed data for the study.

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Data Gathering Instrument

For the purpose of this study, a questionnaire will be used to

describe the management of kindergarten behaviors through various

incentives and rewards. This will include information about the

classroom behaviors of the kindergarten learners in terms of following

rules and regulations, interaction with others, and management of

self. The researcher will construct five (5) items for each variable.

Furthermore, an interview guide will be used to determine the

influence of incentives and rewards on behavior management.

Construction of the questionnaire. The development of the

questionnaire will be done through brainstorming and review of

literature related to the present study. The researchers will be guided by

their research adviser in drafting their questionnaire. The preliminary

draft will be submitted to the adviser for improvements, comments, and

suggestions.

Validation of the questionnaire. Upon the recommendation of

the research adviser, the questionnaire will be submitted and presented

to experts. All the suggestions and comments to be given will be

considered in framing the items of the final draft of the questionnaire.

Administration of the questionnaire. With the approval of the

adviser and after all suggestions are incorporated, the final draft of the
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questionnaire will be reproduced for distribution to the target

respondents.

Scoring of response. To determine how incentives and rewards

ae used to manage kindergarten behavior, the following range and

verbal interpretation in the Likert scale will be used.

Option Range Verbal Interpretation

4 3.50-4.00 Strongly Agree

3 2.50-3.49 Agree

2 1.50-2.49 Disagree

1 1.00-1.49 Strongly Disagree