Institutional Aspects of Classroom Management

Abstract

A consequence of formal learning is that classrooms are invariably located in institutions, and their fundamental characteristics flow from this fact:

• Institutions designate classrooms as ‘spaces’ which offer opportunities for, and at the same time, constrain learning and professional activity. Classroom learning is ‘enclosed’.

• Institutional time envelops classroom space, and is a significant influence on professional discourse, both in the classroom and in the lives of teachers and students outside the classroom.

• Institutional and professional discourses intertwine in spatial and temporal aspects of formal education.