Engaged classrooms through effective classroom management

Students learn best in well-managed classrooms. AERO’s classroom management resources support teachers and school leaders to create safe and supportive learning environments through evidence-based practices.

A group of children in a classroom with their hands up

About the project

Evidence shows that students learn best when they are engaged and learning in well-managed classrooms. Classroom management is crucial for both teachers and students as it sets the tone for the learning environment and significantly influences educational outcomes. It is essential the classroom management practices employed are based on the best available evidence to ensure they have maximum impact and efficiency for teachers and students.

Sustaining a positive and supportive classroom environment that is focused on learning is a complex task. Teachers and school leaders benefit from clear guidance and tools to apply evidence-based practices and approaches.

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has already published a guide for teachers that explains how focused classrooms support learning, as well as follow-up implementation support, including an implementation checklist and case studies of effective practice.

In February 2023, the Australian Government Minister for Education commissioned AERO to undertake a project to support improved learning through effectively managed and engaged classrooms.

This project expands on AERO’s existing work through the development of classroom management resources that are evidence-based and align with the science of how students learn. These resources have been developed in consultation with teachers, school leaders and experts, and demonstrate how to explicitly teach and model expectations for behaviour to support student learning.

Engaged classrooms and classroom management

Classroom management maximises students’ on-task learning time by minimising disruptive behaviour and disengagement. It involves establishing routines to actively engage students in their learning, consistently applying rules and explicitly modelling appropriate behaviour so students know what is expected of them and establishing high expectations for students learning.

Student engagement in learning is multifaceted and can be viewed as the means and end goal of learning. Engagement supports students to feel a sense of belonging and purpose as a learner. It encompasses students’ behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement – essentially, how students behave, feel and think as they undertake learning activities. The influence of teachers is pivotal to students’ engagement.

The resources

Our discussion paper, Effectively Managing Classrooms to Create Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, explores the evidence behind AERO’s comprehensive suite of classroom management resources.

The foundational classroom management resources are designed to support beginning teachers, teachers working in new environments or experienced teachers who want to refine or refresh specific elements of their classroom management practice. Teachers and leaders can access the full set of resources in the Foundational Classroom Management Resources Handbook or individual resources through the Classroom Management Resources: User Guide.

The Classroom Management Professional Learning Resources support school leaders in fostering a shared understanding among staff of the evidence-based approaches and how to apply them in the school.

Further classroom management resources will be released in 2025.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Engaged Classrooms Through Effective Classroom Management Program.