Negotiation
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[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types
Negotiation is the process whereby interested parties resolve disputes, agree upon courses of action, bargain for individual or collective advantage, and/or attempt to craft outcomes which serve their mutual interests. [1]
Fair and open negotiation is essential to democracy and is therefore essential to a democratic classroom.
Breen and Littlejohn [Classroom Decision Making, ISBN 0521661927] outline three kinds of negotiation involved in the learning process: personal negotiation, interactive negotiation, and procedural negotiation.
Personal negotiation is what goes on within ones head when learning. When we interpret meaning from what we hear, read, or see we are negotiating with ourselves what it is that we are learning in comparing it to our previous knowledge.
Interactive negotiation is students and teachers communicating with each other to determine understanding or failure to understand what each other means.
Procedural negotiation is used to reach agreement in a social setting. This is the common sense of the term as used with labor unions, government agencies and business dealings.
[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings
Even if the teacher does not overtly negotiate with students in determining procedural issues in the classroom, some procedural negotiation goes on within the instructor in mediating the requirements of a predetermined curriculum with the individual and group needs of the students.
Some educational psychologists insist that overt procedural negotiation between teacher and students is essential to a harmonious classroom. (See Adler, Dreikurs and/or Nelsen.)
[edit] The evidence of effectiveness in classroom
Negotiation is largely based in alternative and diversity considerations.
In her paper on efficacy Ann Roeder Platt examines the Camellia Elementary School in Sacramento, CA where anarchy and violence were so pervasive that the state teachers college would not send interns there. In summary, “Results over a four-year period showed a significant decrease in vandalism from 24 to two reported cases and a decrease in number of suspensions from 61 to four. The recorded teacher interviews demonstrated great improvement in classroom atmosphere, behavior, and attitudes, school environment, teacher commitment and effectiveness, and academic performance due to implementation of class meetings on a school-wide basis.�? [2]
The articles in Breen and Littlejohn address different situations for using classroom negotiation. “Among the imperatives for negotiated work, we can list the following familiar situations: ~when the teacher does not share the background of the students and, of necessity, must therefore share decisions about course contents (Nikolov, Martyn, Newstetter); ~when a limited number of teaching hours on short courses make teacher-determined choices of contents arbitrary (Slembrouck); ~when there is a heterogeneous student body and there is a need to find a common ground (Norris and Spencer); ~when it is difficult to identify the varied nature of learner achievements (MacKay); ~when there is an absence of published course materials (Edmundson and Fitzpatrick); ~when there is an explicit need to take into account the experiences of students (Irujo, Ivani); ~when the course itself is open-ended and exploratory in nature (McCarthy and Makosch).�? [Classroom Decision Making, ISBN 0521661927]
[edit] Critics and their rationale
The biggest critics of classroom negotiation can be the students themselves. Depending on their assumptions, culture and the specific situations, students may feel that providing clear and simple rules is the teacher’s job. There are those who feel that a clear and predetermined discipline model is essential. Whether the genesis of this notion is from a control or emancipation position is debatable. It appears that effective classroom negotiation is another skill for the well-rounded teacher to deal with varied circumstances.
[edit] Signed �?life experiences�?, testimonies and stories
Interactive negotiation comes into play constantly throughout the class period in the band rehearsal room. I attempt to teach students a part, and they communicate to me by playing it. If they play it well, I know that they understood what I said. If they play it poorly, I know I need to find a better way to communicate what I want. I use procedural negotiation when I am deciding which sections of the band need to practice together, when I decide how I will demonstrate a part, and when I decide which parts of which piece to work on at what time. Elizabeth Giger
Many other testimonies can be found in Breen and in Platt.
When I look and think about Negotiation in the classroom I think that the teachers must use best judgment. I think it is best to not always negotiate. I know that if my principal gives me a deadline then that is when it is due- no negotiations. Many of our students today need teachers to be strict and set guidelines for them not allow them to negotiate due dates. Nic D.
I have a hard time allowing students to negotiate in the classroom even though I think it is a good thing to do. Often students will try to argue rather than negotiate or abuse the privilege. I think this is because they don't really understand what should be happening during negotiation. If my school was more open as a whole to negotiation, it would be a lot easier to make it work in my classroom. But because many of the teachers have hard and fast policies when it comes to all classroom activities, my allowance of negotiation comes across to students as being a pushover teacher. I want to be fair and allow my students to voice concerns and negotiate, but I am having trouble teaching them how to do this properly. -R. Foley
[edit] References and other links of interest
See negotiation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation) for more information on general principles of negotiation.
Breen, M. and Littlejohn, A. The Significance of Negotiation. Classroom Decision-Making. Cambridge University Press: 2000. http://assets.cambridge.org/052166/1927/sample/0521661927wsc00.pdf
