Teachers' Attitudes towards Disruptive Behaviour and their Use of Internal Referral

This study offers a very neat demonstration of something which conventional wisdom holds: that our actions reflect our beliefs. But the topic under investigation is a challenging one – teachers' uses of 'referral systems' in school. The evidence suggests that referrals reflect teachers' beliefs – not, therefore, the pupils' behaviour. We do not know of a study of this sort anywhere in the literature on school behaviour, yet these findings have major implications for those pastoral systems which have become distorted into discipline systems. Michael examines these with care, taking pains not to be simply 'pointing the finger'.
Michael Evans has been teaching physical education and mathematics in London for seven years. Currently in his second secondary post as Head of Year, Michael is working to complete his MA at the University of London Institute of Education. In his spare time he heads for the hills, wind and rain of Scotland.     

Measuring Marbles: Demonstrating the Basic Tenets of Measurement Theory

A hands‐on activity is described in which students attempt to measure something that they cannot see. In small groups, students estimate the number of marbles in sealed boxes. Next, students’ estimates are compared with the actual numbers. Last, values from both the students’ estimates and actual numbers are used to explain measurement theory and reliability.