Behavioural issues within a primary school setting and the impact on teaching and learning

Abstract

Previous studies that have researched how teachers deal with disruptive behaviour show that mainly there are three methods that they use. These are the techniques teachers use in order to motivate and engage their pupils in teaching and learning activities (Dean C. B., Hubbell, Pitler, & Stone, 2012); the use of classroom rules and procedures which is “probably the most obvious aspect of effective classroom management” (Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering, 2003, p. 13), and the type of disciplinary interventions used. The study was conducted in one Primary State school. In order to collect the data, two focus group interviews were carried out. One focus group included the SMT members (the Head and one Assistant Head), and another focus group involved five teachers, with one from each year group. Additionally, three narratives dealing with disruptive behaviour in the classroom where produced and given to the teachers who took part in the focus group. They had to answer a set of questions on how they would deal with such a situation, what they would do to solve such a problem, and what preventive strategies they would use. A number of essential principles were concluded from the study, mainly that: (i) there is no single intervention that teachers adopt all the time, (ii) teachers and SMT must be clear about the rules and procedures that they expect, and (iii) the importance of building a good relationship with the pupils.