A Disciplina Positiva na Formação de Professores dos Anos Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental: Impactos na Sala de Aula.

Abstract

One of the goals of Positive Discipline is to train teachers with a view to developing students’ social-emotional skills while managing classroom behavior in a democratic and respectful manner. Based on this understanding, the present study aimed to investigate, analyze, and relate the impacts of a teacher training program grounded in the principles of Positive Discipline. The research was carried out in two public municipal schools in western Paraná, Brazil. The study involved 12 volunteer teachers who, at the time of the training, were teaching in the early years of elementary education. A mixed-methods (qualitative quantitative) exploratory, descriptive, and relational research design was adopted. The theoretical framework was built through a bibliographic review, in order to explore the historical origins of Positive Discipline and clarify its concepts and principles. Field research was conducted through action research, which included the implementation of a training course based on Positive Discipline, the application of questionnaires, and the researcher’s field diary. The qualitative data were analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis and data triangulation. The quantitative data were organized in Excel for Windows and analyzed using pivot tables to generate tables, charts, and exploratory statistics (minimum, average, maximum, frequency, percentage). Open-ended questions were grouped by theme to identify the main ideas reported by participants. The results gave rise to the following categories of analysis: aspects of student behavior; level of knowledge about Positive Discipline; and impacts of the training on student behavior, classroom management, and teacher-student relationships. Findings point to a limited or absent knowledge of Positive Discipline among participants; frequent behavior-related challenges among students; and positive perceptions of the training, which suggest the relevance of implementing this approach in schools. The training contributed to a shift in how teachers perceive students and how they manage classroom dynamics, with positive effects also reported in student behavior. Although participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with the training, the study emphasizes the need for Positive Discipline — or similar approaches — to be offered more regularly and in greater depth, so that educators can apply these practices with greater confidence, clarity, and intentionality.