In every classroom, everywhere in the world, there is a ‘working atmosphere’, or ‘classroom climate’ in which pupils may learn. This climate has an important influence on the extent to which learning takes place in these classrooms. This section of the site explains the research underpinning the Haydn Scale, which has been widely used in teacher education in the UK and elsewhere. There are also links to some of the teacher testimony from the research, which involved interviews with over 140 experienced teachers. The extracts give teachers’ views about common problems and issues facing teachers, including the problem of how to get the class quiet, how to establish rules, what to do about sending pupils out etc. This does not give ‘magic answers’ which work in all contexts, but it gives some indicators of the parameters of action which teachers deploy in addressing these problems.
Translation of The Haydn Scale and accompanying materials/teacher testimony are available in the following languages
The Haydn Scale
The Haydn Scale is a research instrument which is designed to help teachers and student teachers to reflect on the effect that classroom climate has on pupils’ learning. Although there are many variables which impact on the working atmosphere in the classroom, many studies suggest that the classroom teaching skills of individual teachers are one of the factors which have an influential bearing on pupil behaviour. (A particularly helpful example is Julian Elliott’s article ‘The nature of teacher authority’, which spells out the qualities and strategies that experienced teachers bring to bear on pupil disruption. My attempt to distil these qualities, combining Elliott’s article with some quotations from the teachers I interviewed can be accessed at ‘Complex and sophisticated skills’ section of the website.
One strand of the research was based on interviews with over 140 experienced classroom teachers, and the testimony of these teachers provides some insight into, for example, why the same group of pupils often behave better for some teachers compared to others, and what attributes and skills enabled some teachers to get to a higher level on the scale compared to others.
The Haydn Scale: the working atmosphere in the classroom: a 10 point scale
Levels of Control
Links to the Research
How to get the Class Quiet; what do teachers say?
‘Coping’: how do teachers handle things when they are not in complete control?
It isn’t Quick or Easy
Sending Pupils Out; what do teachers say?
Moving pupils; what do teachers say?
Classroom Rules; what do teachers say?
Why do some teachers become better than others at managing pupil behaviour? What do teachers say?
Complex and sophisticated skills
Mistakes: what do mentors say?
Zero Tolerance; What do teachers say?
Some of the Variables that Influence Classroom Climate
Refusal
What use is the scale?
Links to other useful resources