Introduction
Having faced the problem of class tardiness, every teacher would agree with the famous proverb, “Better an hour too soon than a minute too late”. Class tardiness is one of the serious violations of the class disciplines which strongly affects the learning process. While the negative effect of class tardiness is indubitable, there is no universal approach to managing this phenomenon. This study aims at investigating the essence of class tardiness from different perspectives and elaborating recommendations for educators who face the necessity to develop a class tardiness management system.
Area of Interest
The scope of this research is class tardiness as a negative phenomenon in class life and the ways of managing it. On the one hand, class tardiness may be interpreted as a symptom of implicit disciplinary and psychological problems that exist in the class; on the other hand, class tardiness may provoke other violations of class discipline and affect the processes of teaching and learning. Finally, management of class tardiness is one of the elements of classroom management. It is reasonable to investigate class tardiness as a separate phenomenon as well as that linked to the other negative processes that take place in the classroom.
Background
It is planned to use printed and electronic sources in this research. The background for this study includes study books, monographs, and scholarly articles devoted to different aspects of classroom management and, particularly, class tardiness management.
The provisional study of the available sources has shown that much attention has been paid to the causes of class tardiness. This issue has been discussed from different perspectives in (Kelly, 2010; Neill, 1979; Purvis & Leewer, 2008) and others. These sources offer various approaches to dealing with cases of class tardiness and preventing them. Murawski (2009) discusses tardiness as an element of the chain of various violations of class discipline. Several articles (for example, James, 1995) investigate the link between school tardiness and other behavioral problems.
Less attention is paid to the effects of class tardiness. Consequently, within the borders of this research, it is reasonable to conduct an interview involving experienced teachers who have faced difficult cases of class tardiness as well as young teachers who take their first steps in managing class tardiness. Finally, the abovementioned and the other sources offer a range of methods of dealing with class tardiness. The authors outline the peculiarities and advantages of the presented methods, which helps compare them and develop recommendations for teachers who need to choose the best option for the situation they have faced.
Purpose of the Study
This study aims at providing a reliable theoretical background for the development of class tardiness policy. Every teacher who faces class tardiness is forced to choose a range of methods to deal with this problem; this choice is often based on his/her intuition and teaching experience. The purpose of the study takes its origin from the general notion of problem-solving: to effectively manage a problem, a decision-maker has to investigate its essence, causes and effects; to develop a range of possible solutions and compare them; to offer the best solution. Therefore, this study implies investigating the most popular cases of class tardiness, its impact on the learning process and classroom psychological environment, and the development of the possible ways to manage it. The study includes an analysis of the secondary sources devoted to the issue of class tardiness and the organization of the interview with school teachers.
References
- James, D. W. (1995). Strategies and Successes in School Dropout Prevention. American Youth Policy Forum.
- Kelly, M. (2010). The Everything New Teacher Book: A Survival Guide for the First Year and Beyond. Avon, Mass: Adams Media.
- Murawski, W. W. (2009). Collaborative Teaching in Secondary Schools: Making the Co-Teaching Marriage Work! Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin.
- Neill, S. B. (1979). Keeping Students in School: Problems and Solutions. Arlington, Va.: American Association of School Administrators.
- Purvis, J. R. & Leewer, W. G. (2008). Safe and Successful Schools: A Compendium for the New Millennium. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.