Disruptive behaviours in the classroom observed by the primary school teachers

ABSTRACT DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOURS IN THE CLASSROOM OBSERVED BY THE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS Fatma SADIK M.A. Thesis, Department of Education Sciences Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Adil TÜRKO?LU JuIy-2000, 238 pages The purpose of this study is to identify the distruptive behaviours observed by the primary school teachers in their classrooms. This research is a descriptive study done within the technique of general survey model. Teachers' views on students' behaviours desribed as " disruptive" ; the most common disruptive behaviours in the classrooms ; the seriousness of these problems ; students' most common discipline problems which were difficult to handle; the time spent on managing these misbehaviours; how teachers perceive their self-competence on these issues; and the reasons for these disruptive behaviours are reported. The population of the study included primary school teachers (N: 321) from 19 primary schools located in two parts of Adana, Yüreğir and Seyhan, 1999-2000 academic year. Random proportional sampling was used for the selection of the subjects for data collection. The questionnaire was developed by the researcher in the light of the related literature and the specialists' views was used in order to obtain the required data. The questionnaire included two main parts. The first part aims to collect personal information about the teachers. The second part consists of the questions mabout the disruptive behaviours. There were 21 questions in the questioimarie. The result of the study can be described as follows: The students' misbehaviours described as discipline problems by the teachers were mainly the physical aggression towards people and school property or the property of the others such as disturbing others, fighting, stealing, using abusive language, destroying others' property, making distruptive sounds,...etc. The behaviours related to the students' abilities, attitudes and their study skills (e.g. not following the directions, not attending the tasks, talking without permission,...etc.) were generally described as "mild misbehaviours" by the teachers. The most common problems encountered by the teachers were failing to complete the tasks, eating in the classroom, engaging in the inappropriate work,...etc.). Behaviours such as stealing, using swearing words, lying, destroying the others' property were the most serious problems for the teachers. However, the most serious problems which were difficult to handle for the teachers were talking without permission or interrupting the others, being assuhive,...etc. In general, the teachers described at least five students as "disruptive" in their classrooms and they reported that these were male students. Although the teachers claimed that they spent too much time handling these problems and they still experienced such kind of issues in their classrooms. The family background, friends, crowded classrooms, and the society were shown as the causes of these problem behaviours. Key Words: Classroom Management, Instructional Management, Behaviour Management, Misbehaviour, Primary School TV