The research was inspired by my own passion for understanding and supporting children’s unexpected behaviour. Anecdotal evidence sparked me to question why there were differences in how the management of behaviour was approached within schools compared to early years settings. This study aimed to explore what training was available to teachers and early years practitioners and how this had impacted their practice.

In order to research this topic, a review of the literature was undertaken which explored theoretical approaches that underpin children’s behaviour such as Cognitive, Behaviourist and Psychoanalytic. A review of the theorists, including Freud and Skinner, and how they have impacted behaviour management strategies is also included. Literature relating to children’s emotional development and emotional intelligence was also critically analysed.

The findings revealed there was not a clear, apparent divide between the behaviour management strategies used within differing educational establishments. The training available to teachers and early years practitioners was varied but learning from other experienced professionals had the greatest impact on how the educators managed children’s behaviour.