Childcare settings using Conscious Discipline strategies show a reduction in the incidence of aggressive acts in young children in an action research paper that explores both methods and results.
Zastrow, K. (n.d.) Action research. Unpublished research.
In this article, an early childhood special education teacher chronicles her training process, and conducts child observations and teacher surveys before and after Conscious Discipline training. After training there were fewer recorded acts of aggression, with zero instances of hitting or throwing. Teachers also reported greater agreement with the statement “when our children misbehave, I feel confident in knowing what to do.”
Type of Report: Independent research project, descriptive non-experimental pre-/post-test
A Green Bay, WI childcare center was trained in Conscious Discipline in two workshops held four months apart. Ongoing training was provided through implementation during circle time (30 minutes, twice a week for seven months), shared printed material and monthly reflective luncheon discussions.
Teachers completed pre- and post-surveys about attitudes and frequency of child behaviors. Child observations focusing on acts of physical aggression were conducted in September and April during circle time, indoor center time and outdoor playtime. In addition, the author regularly logged information about the perceived effectiveness of Conscious Discipline throughout the training months, discussed classroom interactions with staff and conducted closing interviews with select staff.
There were fewer acts of aggression at post-test than at pre-test, with zero instances of hitting or throwing at post-test. For most survey questions, there was no change in provider responses from pre- to post-test. However, post-test staff reported greater agreement with the statement “when our children misbehave, I feel confident in knowing what to do.” Additionally, fewer staff agreed with the statement “children who misbehave should be punished.”