The second level primary school teachers? opinions regarding discipline problems, the causes of discipline problems and the techniques used to deal with discipline problems occurring in the classrooms

The purpose of this study was to determine the second level of primary school teachers? opinions regarding the most frequently occurring discipline problems in the classrooms, the major causes of discipline problems and the most common discipline techniques used to deal with students? disruptive behaviors and to find out significant relationships between teachers? responses to the research questions and variables like education level, subject field, teaching experience and gender.The population for the study was all second level public primary school teachers serving in the city center of Diyarbakir in the 2007-2008 academic year. A random sample of 720 second level teachers were selected from the population of 2083 second level public primary school teachers. The ratio of sampling to the total target population was 34,5%The data collected by means of a questionnaire consisting of 61 items. The original data-collecting instrument was designed by Aksoy (1999). But this instrument revised by the researcher himself. The data were analyzed by employing descriptive data analysis procedures including percentages, mean scores and the Chi-square test. Significance level was taken as 0.05 for the Chi-square test.Study findings included the following results: The three most frequently occurring discipline problems identified were (1) talking without permission (2) complaining about classmates and (3) disruptive / excessive talking; the three major causes of discipline problems identified were (1) disinterest of the parents toward their children?s education (2) family problems and (3) parents? negative behaviors and attitudes toward their children; the top three techniques used to deal with students? disruptive behaviors identified were (1) warning students through body language (2) talking to the student after class and (3) redirecting the student attention.The Chi-square test did not produce a statistically significant difference among teachers? opinions about discipline problems taking place in classrooms, depending on their education level. However, analysis of the data revealed five statistically significant differences among teachers? opinions depending on their subject field, sixteen significant differences among teachers? opinions depending on their teaching experience and five statistically significant differences among teachers? opinions depending on their gender.Among teachers? opinions about the causes of discipline problems, depending on their education level, one significant difference; depending on their subject fields, three significant differences; depending on their teaching experience, four significant differences and depending on their genders, five significant differences were found.Depending on their education level, there was no significant difference among teachers? opinions about the techniques dealing with students? disruptive behaviors. However, among teachers? opinions about the techniques dealing with students? disruptive behaviors, depending on their subject fields, one significant difference; depending on their teaching experiences five significant differences and depending on their genders four significant differences were found.