Ask any teacher what's eating into their time and energy, and disruptive behaviour will almost certainly come up.
It's a problem AERO has flagged as one of the most in-demand areas of professional learning for teachers, and one with real consequences. PISA data shows Australian classrooms are among the unruliest in the OECD, with nearly half experiencing frequent noise and disruption, and 90% of teachers reporting moderate to extremely severe stress.
In response, Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand (OUP ANZ) has launched Classroom Management: The Foundation for Learning, a new professional learning program facilitated by behaviour expert Dr Tim McDonald. Beginning in September 2026, it gives school leaders and teachers practical, evidence-informed strategies to strengthen classroom culture and lift learning outcomes.
The launch coincides with Dr McDonald's new book of the same name, to be officially launched at Parliament House, Canberra, on Monday 17 August 2026.
Built through years of collaboration with Australian teachers and school leaders, the program is grounded in Dr McDonald's CORE Framework, a model for creating Calm, Orderly and Respectful Environments based on the idea that behaviour, like reading or maths, can be explicitly taught. Schools implementing the framework report meaningful gains in behaviour, engagement and academic performance.
Teachers who used the CORE framework reported calmer classrooms within weeks, and within months, data showed improved academic outcomes.
Treat behaviour as a learning issue, not a disciplinary one
Dr McDonald said the schools that get classroom behaviour right all discover the same thing: behaviour is something you teach, not something you assume will happen.
“Most improvement efforts begin with rules and consequences, expecting students to already know how to behave — but they don't, any more than they arrive knowing algebra,” Dr McDonald told The Educator.
“The breakthrough comes when schools treat behaviour as a learning issue rather than a discipline issue.”
Dr McDonald said that when behavioural expectations are planned, taught, modelled and rehearsed with the same rigour as reading or mathematics, everything shifts.
“Students know exactly what is expected, teachers share one consistent language, and learning time stops leaking away to low-level disruption,” he said.
“It is also where equity begins: explicit teaching gives every student, whatever their background, the behavioural knowledge to access learning fully. The real fix isn't fixing students at all — it's adults taking responsibility for creating calm, orderly, respectful environments where every student can learn.”
‘The first win arrives in weeks’
Dr McDonald said that under the CORE framework, the first win arrives in weeks, not years.
“Start with what is most visible and most teachable: two or three whole-school routines, such as classroom entry, a consistent cue to start, and exit,” he said.
“Teach them explicitly in every classroom — modelled, practised and reinforced — with every teacher using the same language.”
Dr McDonald said students then meet the same predictable expectations in every lesson, and calm follows quickly, because certainty replaces constant renegotiation of expectations.
“Teachers immediately reclaim lost instructional time, and that is the first win worth chasing: minutes of learning recovered every lesson, every day,” he said.
“Staff feel the difference, students feel safer and ready to engage, and momentum builds from there.”
Dr McDonald said the three-year picture is the compounding result — improved academic data, a culture where teachers can teach — but it grows from those first well-taught routines.
“Start small, be consistent, and let the early calm make the case.”
Turning theory into classroom-ready action
Lee Walker, Product Director at OUP ANZ, said the most important thing that sets the CORE framework apart from other behaviour management programs is Dr McDonald’s strong focus on practical, technique-based implementation.
“The program has been intentionally designed to be a sequential and cumulative learning experience, and Tim combines evidence-based practice with practical strategies that teachers can apply immediately to their schools' context,” Walker told The Educator.
“Of particular benefit is the opportunity for teachers to not only assess their schools' current state, but to also begin forward planning through the development of the qualities and characteristics statement and the identification of values and norm statements, as well as the opportunity to script the teaching of routines within a context.”
The focus on the CORE framework provides a rigorous process to implement learnings, Walker said.
“The program follows a clear cycle of learn, apply, reflect and share, helping participants turn ideas into action,” she said. “Teachers have real and valuable opportunities to reflect on their school practice.”
Rather than simply discussing behaviour frameworks, participants apply the CORE framework to their context and return to reflect on what works, Walker noted.
“Small group sessions provide opportunities for meaningful discussion, collaboration and direct access to Tim's expertise,” she said.
“Most importantly, participants leave with a practical, actionable framework that can be adapted and embedded in their school or classroom.”
Learning built for your context
Getting teachers and leaders learning together without one group feeling shortchanged is no easy feat. Walker said OUP has designed the CORE framework to serve both roles equally, without diluting its value for either.
“The program provides a shared foundation for everyone and allows teachers and leaders to apply the learning in ways that are relevant to their roles and their work as a teaching team,” she said. “We encourage schools to attend as teams, including leaders, because meaningful change is more likely when there is a common understanding and approach.”
Walker said whole-school change can only happen when the change is implemented together, and consistently.
“Tim addresses the common challenges and misalignments that can hinder whole-school implementation, drawing on his extensive experience working with schools,” she said.
“By connecting the learning to participants' own contexts, the program remains practical, relevant and valuable for both teachers and leaders.”