Marshall’s Hierarchy

of Social Development
Presented by
Kenton Blaich, Staci Hartman,
Jessi Headrick, Matthew Hermann,
Laura Howard, and Monique Shaw
Introduction to Marshall’s Hierarchy

● Created by Dr. Marvin Marshall

● Students move upward on the hierarchy toward more responsible behavior.
● Behavior stems from the type of motivation (external or internal).
● The hierarchy is split into four levels:
1) Anarchy (lowest level)
2) Bossing/Bullying
3) Cooperation/Conformity
4) Democracy (highest level)
Marshall’s Hierarchy
of Social
Development
What are the benefits of Marshall’s
Hierarchy?

● Teachers can separate the act from the actor.

● Students realize they are constantly making choices.
● Students deal with negative or inappropriate peer pressure.
● The hierarchy fosters internal motivation for students to behave responsibly
and to put forth effort in learning.
● The hierarchy promotes character development without calling attention to
students’ personal values, ethics, or morals.
● The same vocabulary can be used to communicate with youths and adults.
● The hierarchy encourages students to help the classroom stay conducive to
learning.
Benefits (Continued)

● The hierarchy raises awareness of students’ individual responsibility.

● The hierarchy empowers students by helping them analyze and correct their
behavior.
● The hierarchy serves as an inspiration for students to improve.
● The hierarchy encourages mature decision-making.
● The hierarchy fosters understanding about internal and external motivation.
● The hierarchy promotes self-management and interest in doing the right
thing even when students know they won’t get credit for it.
How should teachers teach the hierarchy to
their students?

● Draw pictures in order to help students visualize the four levels.

● Teach students the difference between level C and level D.
● There are 25 tactics to help build students’ internal motivation.
Some examples of these tactics include:
○ Think and speak with positivity.
○ Encourage your students.
○ Use collaboration.
○ Use responsibility rather than rules.
○ Empower by building on successes.
How should teachers intervene when
students misbehave?

Step 1: Use an unobtrusive tactic. Marshall lists 22 unobtrusive visual, verbal,

and kinetic techniques, including facial expressions, eye contact, hand signals,
and a change in tone of voice.

Step 2: Check for understanding. The strategy is to have students identify their
level of behavior. Consistently asking students to reflect on their behavior is the
key for actuating change.

Step 3: Use guided choice. This step should be used with students who have
already acknowledged irresponsible behavior but continue to behave
unacceptably.
Intervention (Continued)

For upper grades…

Use an essay form. Place the form on a student’s desk while quietly offering
him/her three choices: “Do you prefer to fill out this form in your seat, in the rear
of the room, or in the office?”

Essay form:
● What did I do? (Acknowledgement)
● What can I do to prevent it from happening again? (Choice)
● What will I do? (Commitment)
How does Marshall suggest teachers
evaluate themselves?

If you wish to move in the direction Marshall advocates, the following

questions will help you evaluate your progress:

● Are you teaching students the procedures you expect them to follow?
● Are you communicating with your students in a positive manner?
● Do you give your students choices (preferably three)?
● Do you ask questions that prompt reflection?
References

Charles, C. (2014). Marvin Marshall on Fostering Responsible Behavior. In

Building Classroom Discipline (11th ed., pp. 160-182). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.