Students’ Behavioral Problems in the Classroom and Coping Strategies: Experiences of Secondary School Teachers

Authors

  • Zafar Iqbal Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
  • Irsa Zahoor Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.68490/ber.2024.1.525

Keywords:

Problem behaviors, secondary school, coping strategies, disruptive behaviors

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the most prevalent and unacceptable classroom behavioral issues among public secondary school students in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Moreover, the study identified the reasons for these problem behaviors and ways to address these behaviors. The sample of the study was twenty-three (23) teachers (Female:14 & Male: 09) having minimum sixteen years of education along with professional qualification. Teachers have wide experience of teaching ranging from 10-32 years and teach students aged between thirteen to fifteen years. In this qualitative research data was collected through semi-structured individualized interviews after getting consent from the Federal Directorate of Education and from study participants. Through thematic analysis, the main themes emerged were lack of attention, creating a disturbance in the class, disobedience, and display of aggressive behaviors. The key causes of classroom problem behaviors were parenting style, teachers' attitude/teaching strategies, society, home environment, and social media. Moreover, teachers also think that lack of counseling and character building along with outdated teaching strategies and a boring classroom environment were causes behavioral problems in the class. Teachers should incorporate student-centered teaching with engaging techniques, parents should pay attention in developing good relationship with children at home. Moreover, counseling facilities about psychological issues of teenage students’ needs to be provided at school level. The limited yet empirical data can form a logical foundation for management to create a policy document addressing these issues in schools, offering guidance for parents and teachers to tackle student challenges effectively.

References

Abeygunawardena, K. A. V., & Vithanapathirana, M. V. (2019). The role of teacher to address issues of disruptive behavior of student learners in mathematics classrooms: A study in the Sri Lankan context. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 2(3), 152-173.

Ahmed, G., Tayyub, M., & Ismail, R. (2020). Effects of classroom environment for improving students’ learning at secondary level in Punjab province, Pakistan. Science Academique, 1(1), 1-14.

Aloe, A. M., Shisler, S. M., Norris, B. D., Nickerson, A. B., & Rinker, T. W. (2014). A multivariate meta-analysis of student misbehavior and teacher burnout. Educational Research Review, 12, 30-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev. 2014.05.003.

Altinel, Z. (2006). Student misbehavior in EFL classes: teachers’ and students’ perspectives [Master’s Dissertation, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey].

Atici, M. (2007). A small‐scale study on student teachers' perceptions of classroom management and methods for dealing with misbehaviour. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 12(1), 15-27.

Belle, J. L. (2017). Factors that influence student behaviour in secondary schools. European Journal of Educational and Development Psychology, 5(5), 27-36.

Bergman, D. (2017). Content analysis of science teacher representations in Google Images. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 17(1), 80-96.

Beyerbach, B. (2005). The social foundations classroom: Themes in sixty years of teachers in film: Fast times, dangerous minds, stand on me. Educational Studies, 37(3), 267-285.

Blazar, D., & Kraft, M. A. (2017). Teacher and teaching effects on students’ attitudes and behaviors. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(1), 146-170.

Cabaroglu, N. (2012). Prospective EFL teachers’ perceptions of classroom management and misbehaviour. Çukurova University Faculty of Education Journal, 41(1), 117-132.

Cascales, J. A. M., & Prieto, M.J.R. (2019). Incidence of the practice of physical activity and sports as a regulator of school violence. Challenges: New Trends in Physical Education, Sport, and Recreation, 1(35), 54-60.

Charles, C.M., & Senter, G. W. (2005). Elementary classroom management, (4th ed). New York: Pearson Education.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K., & Wyse, D. (2010). A guide to teaching practice. Routledge.

Creswell, J. W., Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, (4thed). London: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Dalton, M. M. (2013). Bad Teacher is bad for teachers. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 41(2), 78-87.

DiGuilio, Robert. (2000). Positive classroom management, (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Ding, M., Li, Y., Li, X. & Kulm, G. (2008). Chinese teachers' perceptions of students' classroom misbehavior. Educational Psychology, 28(3), 305-324.

Garcia, Q. P., & Santiago, A. B. B. (2017). Parenting styles as correlates to self-esteem of underprivileged adolescents: basis for a proposed parenting skills program. Parenting, 2(5), 27-35.

Ghazi, S. R., Shahzada, G., Tariq, M., & Khan, A. Q. (2013). Types and causes of students’ disruptive behavior in classroom at secondary level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. American Journal of Educational Research, 1(9), 350-354.

Goldstein, R. A. (2011). Imaging the frame: Media representations of teachers, their unions, NCLB, and education reform. Educational Policy, 25(4), 543-576.

Golzar, J., Noor, S., Tajik, O., (2022). Convenience sampling. International Journal of Education and Language Studies, 1(2), 72-77. DOI: 10.22034/ijels.2022.162981

Gomez Marmol, A., Sanchez-Alcaraz Martinez, B. J., Valero Valenzuela, A., & De la Cruz Sánchez, E. (2018). Perceived violence, sociomoral attitudes and behaviours in school contexts. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 13(1), 138-148. http://dx.doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2018.131.14

Granero-Gallegos, A., Gomez-Lopez, M., Baena-Extremera, A., & Martinez-Molina, M. (2020). Interaction effects of disruptive behaviour and motivation profiles with teacher competence and school satisfaction in secondary school physical education. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010114

Gutuza, R. F., & Mapolisa, T. (2015). An analysis of the causes of indiscipline amongst secondary school pupils in Nyanga district. Global Journal of Advanced Research, 2(7), 1164-1171.

Ho, I. T. (2004). A comparison of Australian and Chinese teachers’ attributions for student problem behaviors. Educational Psychology, 24(3), 375–391.

Hayat, A. A., Shateri, K., Amini, M., & Shokrpour, N. (2020). Relationships between academic self-efficacy, learning-related emotions, and metacognitive learning strategies with academic performance in medical students: a structural equation model. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 1-11.

Hoover Green, A., & Cohen, D. K. (2021). Centering human subjects: The ethics of “desk research” on political violence. Journal of Global Security Studies, 6(2).

Houghton, S., Wheldall, K., & Merrett, F. (1988). Classroom behavior problems which secondary school teachers say they find most troublesome. Journal of British Educational Research, 14(3), 297–312.

Jacob, L., & Aloka, P. J. (2023). Identification of problematic behaviors among learners in classrooms by teachers in primary schools South Africa. International Journal of Humanity Studies (IJHS), 7(1), 147-158.

Jacobson-Lundeberg, V. (2016). Pedagogical implementation of 21st century skills. Educational Leadership and Administration: Teaching and Program Development, 27, 82-100.

Jawaid, M., & Aly, S. M. (2014). Learning environment in undergraduate institutes in Pakistan: determining factors and suggestions. Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute, 28(3), 319-323.

Joshi, D., Gokhale, V. A., & Acharya, A. (2012). Student’s response and behavior in the classroom environment. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 2(1), 926-937.

Khan, M. A., Asif, M., Khan, A. S., & Azeem, M. (2020). Factors affecting the academic performance of students at higher secondary school level in Malakand district. Pakistan Journal of Society, Education and Language, 6(2), 197-207.

Kollerová, L., Květon, P., Zábrodská, K., & Janošová, P. (2023). Teacher exhaustion: The effects of disruptive student behaviors, victimization by workplace bullying, and social support from colleagues. Social Psychology of Education, 26(4), 885-902.

Koutrouba, K. (2013). Student misbehaviour in secondary education: Greek teachers' views and attitudes. Educational Review, 65(1), 1-19.

Kyngas, H., Mikkonen, K., & Kaariainen, M. (Eds.). (2019). The application of content analysis in nursing science research. Edinburgh: Springer Nature

Kyriacoua, C. (2010). Japanese high school teachers' views on pupil misbehavior. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 18(3), 245-259.

Kyriacoua, C. & Martín, J. L. O. (2010). Beginning secondary school teachers’ perceptions of pupil misbehaviour in Spain. Teacher Development, 14(4), 415-426.

Kyriacou, C., Avramidis, E., Hoie, H., Stephens, P. & Hultgren, A. (2007). The development of student teachers' views on pupil misbehaviour during an initial teacher training programme in England and Norway. Journal of Education for Teaching, 33(3), 293-307.

Leung & Ho. (2001). Disruptive classroom behavior perceived by Hong Kong primary school teachers. Journal of Educational Research, 16(2), 223–237.

Lichtman, M. (2013). Qualitative research for the social sciences. USA: SAGE publications.

Little, E. (2005). Secondary school teachers’ perceptions of students’ problem behaviours. Educational Psychology, 25(4), 369–377.

Malak, S. Deppeler, M. J. & Sharma, U. (2014). Bangladeshi teachers’ perceptions about student behaviour in primary schools. International Journal on School Disaffection,14(1), 59-78.

Martin, A. J., & Dowson, M. (2009). Interpersonal relationships, motivation, engagement and achievement: Yields for theory, current issues, and educational practice. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 327-365.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook, (2nd ed). Sage Publications.

Moore, D., Benham-Clarke, S., Kenchington, R., Boyle, C., Ford, T., Hayes, R., & Rogers, M. (2019). Improving Behaviour in Schools: Evidence Review. Education Endowment Foundation.

Narhi, V., Kiiski, T., & Savolainen, H. (2017). Reducing disruptive behaviours and improving classroom behavioral climate with class‐wide positive behavior support in middle schools. British Educational Research Journal, 43(6), 1186-1205.

Ngwokabuenui, Y. P. (2015). Students’ indiscipline: Types, causes and possible solutions: The case of secondary schools in Cameroon. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(22), 64-72.

Ozturk, Y. (2017). Student misbehavior in the EFL classroom: Perceptions of pre-and in-service teachers. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(29), 115-122.

Parvez, M. S., Rahaman, M. A., Fatema, K., & Mondal, D. R. (2019). Impact of social networking sites on interpersonal relationship among teenager: A sociological analysis in the district of Bagerhat. British Journal of Arts Humanities, 1(5), 14-27.

Rafi, A., Ansar, A., & Sami, M. A. (2020). The implication of positive reinforcement strategy in dealing with disruptive behavior in the classroom: A scoping review. Journal of Rawalpindi Medical College, 24(2), 173-179. https://doi.org/10.37939/jrmc.v24i2.1190

Rizvi, M. (2015). Teacher education pedagogies related to preparing preservice teachers as leaders in Pakistan. In International teacher education: Promising pedagogies (Part B). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Said, M. A., Idris, M., & Hussain, S. (2018). Relationship between social behaviour and academic performance of students at secondary level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Distance and Online Learning, 4(1), 153-170.

Schleicher, A. (2015). Schools for 21st-century learners: Strong leaders, confident teachers, innovative approaches. International Summit on the Teaching Profession. Paris/France: OECD Publishing.

Shakespeare, S., Peterkin, V. M. S., & Bourne, P. A. (2018). A token economy: An approach used for behavior modifications among disruptive primary school children. MOJ Public Health, 7(3), 89-99. https://doi.org/10.15406/ mojph.2018.07.00212

Shen, J., Zhang, N., Zhang, C., Caldarella, P., Richardson, M. J., & Shatzer, R. H. (2009). Chinese elementary school teachers’ perceptions of students’ classroom behaviour problems. Educational Psychology, 29(2), 187–201.

Sorcinelli, M. D. (2002). Promoting civility in large classes. In C. Stanley & E. Porter (Eds.), Engaging large classes: Strategies and techniques for college faculty (44-57). Bolton, MA: Anker.

Sullivan, J. R. (2012). Skype: An appropriate method of data collection for qualitative interviews?. The Hilltop Review, 6(1), 10.

Sun, C. F. (2014). Is school misbehavior a decision? Implications for school guidance. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(7), 2047-2051

Suyatno, S., Mardati, A., Wantini, W., Pambudi, D. I., & Amurdawati, G. (2019). The impact of teacher values, classroom atmosphere, and student-teacher relationship towards student attitude during learning process. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 18(8), 54-74.

Teibowei, J. (2022). Teenagers' challenges and its implications on social adjustment of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor local government area of rivers state. International Journal on Economics, Finance and Sustainable Development, 4(4), 1-27.

Wang, Q., Pomerantz, E., & Chen, H. (2007). The role of parents’ control in early adolescents’ psychological functioning: A longitudinal investigation in the United States and China. Child Development, 78(5), 1592–1610.

Wangdi, T., & Namgyel, S. (2022). Classroom to reduce student disruptive behavior: An action research. Mextesol Journal, 46(1), 1-11.

Warnick, B. R., & Scribner, C. F. (2020). Discipline, punishment, and the moral community of schools. Theory and Research in Education, 18(1), 98-116.

WO, A., & Akinola, O. B. (2020). Behavioural problems among secondary school students in Osun State: A Nexus of Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness.

Yu, Y., Wang, T., Liang, J., Yang, C., Wang, H., Zhao, X., ... & Liu, W. (2020). Behavioural problems amongst pre-school children in Chongqing, China: Current situation and influencing factors. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 1149-1160.

Yuan, X., & Che. L. (2012). How to deal with student misbehavior in the classroom? Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 2(1), 143-150.

Zhu, X., & Shek, D. T. (2021). Parental factors and adolescent well-being: Associations between developmental trajectories. Children and Youth Services Review, 127, 106071.

Published

30-04-2024

How to Cite

Iqbal, Z., & Zahoor, I. (2024). Students’ Behavioral Problems in the Classroom and Coping Strategies: Experiences of Secondary School Teachers. Bulletin of Education and Research, 46(1), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.68490/ber.2024.1.525

Issue

Section

Articles