The aim of this this study was to analyze what kind of contents there are in the American educational study books dealing with classroom management models and what is the backround of those models. In addition the objective was to find out how these models differ from each other and what common features can be found in them. On this basis it was evaluated whether some kind of metamodel could be constructed and whether this metamodel could be applied to different learning situations as widely as possible. The descriptions of the classroom discipline models presented in two American educational books were chosen for study. The texts were summarized and translated into Finnish. These books are the text corpus which is the focus of research. The method used in the study was systematic analysis. First the texts were simplified as summaries and mind maps were made of them. In this way the central content of each model was found out. Next the models were formed into "families" by looking for the common features in them. The models were also compared by the criteria which were chosen beforehand. The focus of the research was the content of the following models (the researcher/researchers or the backround of the model is mentioned first): Thomas Gordon active listening Eric Berne transactional analysis Haim Ginott congruent communication Fredric H. Jones nonverbal communication Rudolf Dreikurs the need to be accepted William Glasser the need of power, joy and freedom Curwin and Mendler student dignity Jacob Kounin the features of effective teaching Lee and Marlene Canter assertive discipline Neoskinnerian model behavior modification Redl and Wattenberg group dynamic Engelman and Dobson behaviorism/punishment model On the basis of the analysis four model "families" were found, in which the following features were emphasized: 1) communication, 2) motivation and learning needs, 3) organising and 4) controlling. The models differ from each other on the basis of following criteria: student vs. teacher centeredness, the function of the model and the basic psychological orientation (behavioristic, cognitive or psychodynamic). Compared with the comprehensive classroom management strategy it was found out that the models differ in their wideness. In narrower models only communication was emphasized. Key words: classroom management, leadership of learning situation, discipline, order, atmosphere