Nature and Function of Rules

Abstract

In this paper the nature and function of teacher rules in Year I and 2 primary classrooms is discussed. It is argued that the classroom is a complex mini-society which children must come to understand if they are to adjust to and succeed in school. Rules, it is believed, help children make sense of the world of the classroom. Rules are viewed as serving both a managerial function (helping to establish order) and as a mechanism for defining and understanding the ‘way of life’ in the classroom. Against this backdrop of perspectives on school and teacher rules, the rules of 60 Year 1 and 2 teachers were examined. The findings are discussed with reference to the above two perspectives and to the importance of rules in reinforcing the authority of the teacher in the classroom.