Managing Learner Behaviour in a Virtual Classroom: Experiences of Selected Private High School Teachers in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study examined experiences of private high school teachers in managing learners’ behaviour in virtual classrooms. The study was motivated by paradigm shift from physical classroom to virtual classroom in most educational institutions globally because of corona virus pandemic. A qualitative study, rooted in interpretive paradigm employed case study design. The participants who constituted ten teachers were purposively selected from two private high schools in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. The data solicited through emailed open-ended questionnaire were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. The findings revealed that there is a mixture of good and bad behaviour in a virtual classroom just like in a physical classroom. The results showed that private high school teachers have adopted diverse strategies to manage learners’ behaviour in virtual classrooms such as use of collaborative learning, ensuring that learners’ videos are on throughout the lesson, constantly referring to learners by their names to remain alert, punctuality in starting online lessons and marking attendance register. The study established that private high school teachers experienced innumerable challenges in managing learners’ behaviour in virtual classrooms. It emerged that some learners absent themselves from lessons although they have all resources supporting their learning, and there was lack of collaboration from some parents who were reluctant to guide their children in behaviour modification. The results further suggest that the private high schools support the management of learners’ behaviour through various ways which include providing timetable which is shared with learners and parents to ensure that learners do not miss the lessons and distributing school rules with consequences well spelt out, to learners and parents. It emerged that the school heads regularly engage learners to moral and values sessions. The study established that the parents are appraised of their children’s attendance and performance through a weekly summary report sent by the schools. The study concludes that the selected private schools apply whole school approach to manage learners’ behaviour in virtual learning. The study recommends that private high schools should train parents to acquaint them with roles they should play in assisting their children in virtual learning. Key words : behaviour management, private high schools, strategies, virtual classroom DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-6-13 Publication date: February 28 th 2021