Discursive spaces in education perpetuated by behaviour management systems

This study explores discursive spaces in education shaped by behaviour management systems and the influence of trauma-informed practices. In schools, behaviour management operates not only as strategies for addressing pupil behaviour but as institutional mechanisms regulating conduct and compliance for both children and staff. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research examines school staff perspectives on trauma-informed practice, examining its benefits and implementation challenges. Grounded in the author’s experience as a family support worker and educator, it investigates how trauma affects children’s learning and advocates for relational behaviour frameworks over punitive measures. Informed by Foucauldian concepts of power and knowledge and employing Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, the study situates behaviour management within broader systemic concepts, identifying themes of power dynamics, professional identity, and neoliberal pressures. Findings reveal the transformative potential of trauma-informed practices to foster empathy and inclusion while exposing tensions created by performative demands in education.