Disruptive Classroom Behavior Research Articles

Attribution to Classroom Disruptive Behavior: Insights from Secondary Teachers

Disruptive behavior in the classroom is a significant concern for teachers in schools across the globe. Extensive research has conclusively shown that effectively managing disruptive behavior in the classroom is a crucial factor that enhances the quality of instruction. The successful management of disruptive behavior in the classroom is influenced by various factors, including the causal attribution that a teacher assigns to the behavior. This study explored teachers’ perspectives on the factors contributing to disruptive behavior in the classroom. The study employed an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach with a case study research design. Data was generated via semi-structured interviews with six members of the School Management Team and a focus group interview with seven teachers from four purposively chosen Quintiles Three secondary schools. The findings showed that teachers attribute classroom disruptions to the characteristics and attributes of learners, contextual elements within schools, and external factors. The study concludes that these factors should be considered when developing classroom behavior strategies.

Identifying teachers’ reactive strategies towards disruptive behavior in classrooms

In this article, we identify strategies teachers apply after disruptive behavior has occurred in classrooms. The sample consists of 40 Norwegian teachers in lower and upper secondary schools. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were the method of inquiry. Our findings indicate that many teachers predominantly use individually oriented strategies. This is supported by teachers applying subtle cues, reorientation, and sanctions toward disruptive students. This indicates that teachers seldom apply collectively oriented strategies towards disruptive behavior and that disruptive behavior is mainly interpreted as an individual phenomenon although it impairs the learning of the class.

A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Single-Case Group Contingency Interventions Targeting Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in School Children

Group contingencies are well established as methods for reducing disruptive classroom behaviors and increasing academic behaviors. However, their role in increasing prosocial behaviors has not yet been explored to the same extent. We conducted a systematic review of the single-case literature to synthesize the types of prosocial and antisocial behaviors targeted in school settings, the short-term and long-term behavioral contingencies used to target these behaviors, and the quality of the literature. We searched five databases for studies exploring the use of group contingencies to increase prosocial behaviors or decrease antisocial behaviors in children. Our narrative synthesis of the twenty-two included studies noted contingencies employed in these interventions consisted of either positive reinforcement or a combination of positive reinforcement and positive punishment. Of the 22 studies included for review, none met the What Works Clearinghouse Design Standards without reservations. Interobserver agreement and demonstration of effects over time were the most commonly unmet design standards. Future research should seek to encourage greater focus on both prosocial behavior and positive behavior change mechanisms. PROSPERO ID: CRD42022337025.

Direct and indirect effects of and preferences for feedback during the Good Behavior Game in elementary classes.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an effective procedure for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. Students in three fifth-grade classes selected the rules of the GBG and then experienced the GBG with different forms of feedback for rule violations (vocal and visual, vocal only, visual only, no feedback). Following an initial baseline, the four feedback versions of the GBG and a baseline condition were alternated across sessions in a multielement design. All versions of the GBG substantially reduced disruptive behavior below baseline levels. Additionally, in one of the three classes losing the GBG produced an increase in negative peer interactions immediately following the GBG. Following the multielement comparison, we implemented a group-arrangement concurrent-chains preference assessment in which students selected one of the conditions to experience each day. The most selected condition across all classes was the GBG condition, which included both vocal and visual feedback.

The detrimental effects of student-disordered behavior at school: evidence from using the cusp catastrophe.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the potentially complex relationship between disordered behavior at school and students' engagement with reading activities given that they enjoy reading. Of particular interest is the role of disordered behavior which we believe moderated the relationship between liking reading and reading engagement. Participants were 2,420 fourth graders who participated in the 2021 PIRLS study from Saudi Arabia and were selected using stratified random sampling from 117 schools in the Kingdom. Data were analyzed using linear and nonlinear means such as the linear model, the logistic model, and the cusp catastrophe. Results pointed to the superiority of the cusp catastrophe towards predicting student engagement in reading by highlighting the splitting role of students' disruptive classroom behavior. It was evident that exceeding a critical upward level in disruptive classroom behavior was associated with unpredictable and sudden changes in reading engagement. It is concluded that the application of non-linear means may be conducive to understanding complex educational phenomena.

Usability of an eLearning Professional Development Program for Elementary Classroom Teachers: ASSIST for Disruptive Classroom Behaviours

An eLearning professional development (PD) program, ASSIST for Disruptive Classroom Behaviour, was developed using an iterative user-centred design approach. This program was designed to support teachers in the implementation of teacher-implemented in-class interventions for disruptive classroom behaviour (DCB). The objective of the current study was to determine the usability of this program. Overall, the results suggest that end-users (i.e., classroom teachers) and stakeholders (i.e., administrators, specialized teachers, school psychologists, and behaviour specialists) found the program to have high usability and reported that it was ready to be used by other teachers, that they found it flexible to adapt to their classroom setting; they provided high satisfaction ratings for this program. In addition to the positive findings, the primary constructive feedback was that tangible downloadable materials should be added to the ASSIST for Disruptive Classroom Behaviour program to meet classroom teachers’ needs better. Based on all results, the program, with a few minor modifications, was deemed ready for effectiveness testing.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Teacher-Implemented Interventions for Disruptive Behaviour in the Inclusive Classroom

Disruptive classroom behaviour (DCB) is highly prevalent and is associated with poor outcomes. Although effective, in-class interventions exist for disruptive behaviour, several barriers prevent teachers from using them. The current systematic review and meta-analysis take a unique approach to the literature by focusing on teacher-implemented in-class interventions. The aims of the systematic review and meta-analysis are to (a) to identify studies that evaluated teacher-implemented in-class interventions for DCB in the extant literature, (b) extract characteristics of the interventions related to implementation (e.g., time commitment, training required), and (c) estimate an overall effect size of the interventions on DCB. A systematic review, conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, identified 45 articles included in the final review, of which 27 were included in the meta-analysis. Intervention characteristics were summarized for the 28 identified interventions. The combined effect size of the studies was positive and large when estimated using a random-effects model. The results suggest that while there is evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions, the poor methodological quality of the included studies may inflate the effectiveness. These results also suggest future directions for research regarding teacher-implemented in-class interventions for DCB.

Chinese and British University Teachers’ Emotional Reactions to Students’ Disruptive Classroom Behaviors

As globalisation increases, more teachers are teaching abroad. New teaching contexts present challenges to international teachers’ mental health. According to appraisal theory, the elicitation of an emotion is an interplay between situational (context) and dispositional (beliefs) antecedents, and people’s built-in dispositions are socially constructed and culturally shaped. Based on this premise, it can be assumed that, compared with local teachers, international teachers may experience different types or intensities of emotions due to their different beliefs and goals when they confront the same disruptive behaviours by students in the classroom. The aim of this research is to investigate Chinese teachers’ and British teachers’ emotional experiences while working in universities in the UK through a mixed methods study. The methodology that is employed in the present research is a pragmatic approach. A sequential mixed-methods design was used to examine the assumptions and discover possible explanations for the phenomenon. Study One investigated 99 participants (47 Chinese teachers and 52 British teachers) through a novel video-based survey and found that university teachers who were originally from China experienced a significantly higher level of anxiety and shame than teachers who were originally from Britain. The results show that in a new cultural context, international teachers can experience higher-level negative emotions in comparison with indigenous teachers. Study Two used semi-structured interviews to examine what factors could result in the differences discovered by Study One. The results indicated that the appraisal dimension of accountability and self-construals, shaped by cultural values, were the key factors influencing teachers’ emotional experiences. Overall, the research findings have implications for supporting international teachers’ emotional acculturation and the sustainable development of both policymakers and practitioners in foreign teaching contexts.

Experiences of Students’ Challenging Behaviour in Primary Schools in South Africa: Teacher, Governor, and Caretaker Perspectives

Students’ challenging behaviour is a persisting problem in some primary schools. In South African primary schools, however, students’ challenging behaviour is mainly understood as disruptive classroom behaviour. To establish how primary schools experience this phenomenon, interviews were held with twenty-one participants, purposively selected from three primary schools, to provide qualitative data. Opposing prior understandings, thematic analysis showed that students’ challenging behaviour in primary schools is experienced through acts of violence, vandalism, and bullying. Social cognitive theory revealed how students growing up in hostile environments emulate and reproduce hostility. Education departments should consider these experiences to appraise and revise disciplinary policies to promote school safety, and more effective learning in the classroom.

Variables Escolares y Consumo de Drogas en la Adolescencia y Adultez: un Estudio Retrospectivo

Drug use and gambling are major problems in today’s society. Many studies have found that school variables are related to drug use and gambling, but the persistence of such relationships in adulthood is still little-known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discover if these school variables are related to substance use and gambling in both adolescence and adulthood through a retrospective study. A sample of 416 people resident in Spain between 18 and 50 years old was used. Results showed that having a good academic performance and a positive school environment act as protective factors for substance use. A high rate of truancy and disruptive classroom behaviors are risk factors for drug use and gambling. This relationship not only appears in adolescence, it also continues into adulthood. Results can be used for better prevention and intervention against drug use and gambling.

Evaluating Different Magnitudes of Reinforcement Within the Caught Being Good Game

The Caught Being Good Game (CBGG) is an evidence-based practice used in classrooms to reduce disruptive classroom behavior. This approach to classwide intervention has been implemented and its effectiveness demonstrated across grade levels and types of disruptive behavior. Teachers report that the CBGG is an easy classroom management strategy to implement. Although several studies have been published demonstrating its utility, less research has examined how variations in the contingencies employed impact outcomes. In the current study, the CBGG was implemented across three classrooms in an effort to replicate previous findings. As well, the magnitude of reward/reinforcement was manipulated to determine whether this parameter affected intervention efficacy. Results of the study demonstrated appropriate classroom behavior increased across three elementary classrooms. The impact of magnitude of reward/reinforcement was idiosyncratic across the three classrooms, with no uniform impact of magnitude on intervention outcomes. Reasons why magnitude of reinforcement may not have impacted the efficacy of the CBGG are discussed.

Teachers' Multi-Perspective-Taking and Attributions in Coping with Pupil's Disruptive Classroom Behavior; A Cross-Case Study

Teachers' Multi-Perspective-Taking and Attributions in Coping with Pupil's Disruptive Classroom Behavior; A Cross-Case Study

Teacher turnover and residential instability: Exploring joint and contextual associations with child behavior

This paper explored whether within-year teacher turnover and residential instability jointly predict child behaviors when they co-occur. Specifically, we investigated this question in a nationally representative sample of Head Start children using the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), in the years before and after the Great Recession (2006-2009); a sample and a time in which there were high rates of both turnover and residential moves. A secondary question we asked was whether children's behavior problems were only expressed in the context in which they experienced instability, such as behavior problems emerging in the classroom in response to teacher turnover, or more globally, such as seeing these behaviors at home and school. Results indicated that experiencing both forms of instability contemporaneously did not uniquely predict children's negative behaviors. However, they did find that residential instability was associated with children's behaviors both at home and school, whereas teacher turnover only predicted children's school behaviors. Notably, these effects largely emerged in the time leading up to the Great Recession; afterwards, neither form of instability consistently predicted children's negative behaviors. These findings suggest that during times of economic turmoil, residential moves are associated with larger disruptions to children's well-being, emphasizing a need for policies that act as stabilizers, such as suspending evictions. They similarly signal a need for more teacher supports during this time, as both turnover and residential instability are associated with disruptive classroom behaviors that could be difficult to manage.

High-Tech Classroom Management: Effects of the Use of an App on Disruptive and On-Task Classroom Behaviours for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Disorder.

Students with emotional behavioural disorders may exhibit extremely challenging behaviour that interferes with their academic achievement and social relationships. Failure at school frequently leads to a succession of poor life outcomes including increased rates of unemployment or underemployment. Increasing on-task behaviours and decreasing disruptive classroom behaviours is of crucial importance. If successful, this may promote positive experiences and outcomes in terms of effective learning, and, ultimately, greater opportunities in life. This study evaluated a high-tech approach to classroom management using an App* that offers elements of choice and predictability to students. Teachers were provided with two hours of training on how to upload lesson plans to their smartphone and how to broadcast onto screens in classrooms. A multiple-baseline design across four participants was used and the data suggested that the use of the App resulted in both increases in on-task behaviour and a reduction in disruptive classroom behaviour for all participants.

Mediators of psychosocial treatment for adolescent ADHD.

Almost no studies identify mediators of psychosocial interventions for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-largely due to design limitations. Understanding mediators can promote streamlined interventions in usual care (UC) settings. When individual studies are insufficient to pursue complex questions, integrative data analysis (IDA) allows researchers to pool raw data from multiple studies to produce cumulative scientific knowledge. We leveraged IDA to pool and harmonize data from four randomized controlled trials of ADHD psychosocial treatment (N = 854) with three time points. Linear growth curve analyses examined the impact of four psychosocial treatment conditions on ADHD symptom outcomes and five candidate mediators (compared to no treatment). To test mediation, we examined whether treatment condition predicted linear growth in the mediator at posttreatment, and if the mediator predicted linear growth in the outcome at follow-up. Compared to no treatment, engagement-focused parent-teen treatment (d = .43-.72; Supporting Teens' Autonomy Daily [STAND]) and community-based usual care (d = .54-.99) led to greatest reductions in parent-rated ADHD symptoms, followed by the Summer Treatment Program-Adolescent (d = .29-.30; STP-A) and standard behavioral parent training + organization skills training (d = .26-.31; BPT/OST). Improvements in organization, time management, and planning skills mediated outcome for all treatments. BPT/OST and STP-A prevented deterioration of social skills, in turn mitigating escalation of ADHD symptoms. Improvements in parent-teen communication skills mediated outcome for STAND, BPT/OST, and the STP-A. Parent contingency management and disruptive classroom behavior were not treatment mediators. Psychosocial treatments for adolescent ADHD primarily improve ADHD symptoms through development of teen organization, time management (OTP), and parent-teen communication skills, as well as slowing deterioration of social skills. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategies Used by the Teachers to Reduce Students' Disruptive Behavior in Classroom

Disruptive behaviour of students in a classroom is a serious hurdle for effective learning and teaching process. This quantitative study was conducted to explore the strategies used by the teachers to reduce disruption in the classroom and data was collected through a survey. The population of this study was all female and male teachers teaching in public sector colleges of District Chakwal. To represent the entire population, through a convenient sampling technique, 13 public sector colleges were selected from District Chakwal and 176 teachers were randomly selected for data collection purposes. A self-developed research questionnaire was used for data collection after validation and reliability assessment. The results showed that most of the teachers practice proactive, reactive, recognition and reward strategies. In the light of findings, it is recommended that teacher training institutions should introduce modern behaviour management strategies in the curriculum of teacher training programs so that, teachers can perform their teaching activities in an excellent manner.

A Case Study of the Perceived Impact of Disruptive Behavior among Grades 9 and 11 Students on their Academic Performance at a Corporate High School

Educators in schools for the past two decades have been faced with the problem of disruptive behavior in classrooms. The rate and extent to which schools in Jamaica and elsewhere have been experiencing disruptive behavior among students has generated the attention of many within the classrooms and in another places. The present study examined school personnel perceptions of the causes of disruptive behavior among a set of grades 9 and 11 students in a corporate area high school and the impact that disruptive behavior had on their own and their classmates’ achievement. It also examined how educators respond to students who are consistently disruptive in the classroom. The primary data collecting instruments used to conduct this case study comprised: semi-structured interviews, observation, and the reviewing of archival data on students’ academic performance. The results of the study revealed that school personnel hypothesized several causes of disruptive behavior in classrooms. These were inclusive of parental influence and home environment, community environment, peer influence, socioeconomic status, difficult personal circumstances, illiteracy, learning disability (ADHD), attention seeking, and problems with teaching. Also mentioned, were attitudes of teachers, and structural classroom dynamics. All the participants believed that disruptive behavior had a strong impact on students’ performance, a belief borne out by achievement data. The observations revealed that although teachers used a variety of approaches to respond to disruptive behavior, those approaches were almost exclusively responsive. The study suggested that specialized training, regarding classroom disruptive behavior, should be implemented to better equip school personnel with the techniques to deal effectively with classroom disruptive behavior. Keywords: Academic achievement, Disruptive behavior, Academic Performance

An exploration of precursors for at-risk American public schools: The comparative behavioral profiles between children with and without disabilities

American education has been threatened by low student achievement, high teacher attrition, and proficient teacher shortages for decades. Disruptive classroom behaviors are the primary contributor to teacher attrition and the interlinked dichotomy, but relative to special education, general education lacks both competent teacher preparation and constructive behavior remediation. The study found K–12 students with and without disabilities to exhibit different behavior profiles, but the quantity and quality of both profiles warrant the need for proper teacher preparation and implementation of structured behavior intervention systems. Study implications regarding public schools’ systematic challenges were discussed extensively with recommended next steps.

The effects of student s gender and classroom disruptive behaviors and parental income on student s mathematics achievement trajectory

The goal of the study was to examine the role of students’ gender, their disruptive behaviors, and parental income on their mathematics achievement history. Participants included 8,984 individuals aged 12-16 years and the data were collected from the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS). The study results showed that there was not any significant gender effect on students’ mathematics achievement trajectories. Furthermore, students with disruptive behaviors were more successful than their peers with less disruptive behaviors. Finally, the latent growth curve model parameter estimates indicated there was not any significant parental earned income impact on students’ mathematics achievement trajectories.

Enhancing Skills to Reduce Preschoolers’ Disruptive Classroom Behaviors and Improve Classroom Engagement

Background: Disruptive behaviors are often a sign of emotional dysregulation in young children, and this can hinder their engagement and development. Purpose: This pilot study presents results from five case studies with preschool-age children exhibiting disruptive classroom behaviors. Method: The intervention package included participation in a social skills curriculum and the use of calming techniques to facilitate emotional regulation. Observations were used to assess change in engagement and disruptive behaviors. Teacher perceptions of the intervention were examined. Results: Findings indicated improved engagement and reduced disruptive behaviors in all five students who learned skills for emotional regulation. Also, teachers found the social skills interventions practical and effective. Conclusion: Improving social skills and teaching calming techniques to regulate emotions fostered classroom engagement and reduced disruptive behaviors for preschoolers.