Student Engagement : Promoting Positive Classroom Behaviour

Student Engagement: Promoting Positive Classroom Behaviour encourages pre-service teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools to make choices about how best to design and manage their classrooms and schools to maximise productive behaviour and learning. The text explores numerous dimensions of student engagement from within and outside school settings, including verbal and non-verbal communication; disengaged behaviours and corrective strategies; trauma-informed practice; working with students with emotional and behavioural disorders; and bullying prevention and intervention strategies. Linking to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs), each chapter includes 'Embedding the theory' and 'Story from the field' boxes that discuss the theoretical research behind different approaches to engagement and explore their practical applications. 'Making professional decisions' boxes at the end of each chapter also provide further guidance on how to approach different situations and build a repertoire of resources for practice.

Jeff Thomas, Ph.D., is an assistant principal at a large secondary school in Tasmania. Prior to this role, he worked in a variety of schools and eventually established and ran a program for disengaged students. After completing his Ph.D., he spent a decade researching extensively in the areas of student engagement and behaviour and taught initial teacher education students and practising teachers as a lecturer at the University of Tasmania.

Helen Egeberg, Ph.D., is an educational researcher and professional development provider in Australia and abroad. With over thirty years of experience as a secondary school teacher and as a senior lecturer/course coordinator at Edith Cowan University, her focus has consistently been on developing safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

Roberto H Parada, Ph.D., is a registered psychologist and Associate Professor in Adolescent Development, Behaviour, Wellbeing and Pedagogical at the School of Education, Western Sydney University. His research interest focuses on student wellbeing, bullying intervention, social-emotional learning, and mental health in schools. He has worked in government and non-government organisations, implementing and evaluating various individual and population-level interventions to promote the wellbeing of young people.

Danielle Tracey, Ph.D., is an educational and developmental psychologist, and Professor in the School of Education and the Translational Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University. Her research and teaching interests focus on educational and developmental psychology, disability studies and evaluation. Her expertise is underpinned by substantial experience as an educational and developmental psychologist and program manager in the community sector.

Karen Martin, Ph.D., is Professor of Trauma-Informed Practice and adjunct at the University of Western Australia and University of Tasmania. With colleagues, she led the development of the International Trauma-Informed Practice Principles for Schools and subsequently the Thoughtful Schools Program. Her prior research, teaching and advocacy has encompassed mental wellbeing, domestic violence prevention, psychosocial distress, loneliness and homelessness.