Pedagogies for Positive Learning Environments

Assignment 1

Establishing effective learning in the classrooms has been the focus of many literature reviews.
Many of which refer to class management as the greatest challenge that pre-service and
experienced teachers face to maintain orders in the classroom (De Nobile, Lyons & Arthur-
Kelly, 2017). Moreover, Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahy (2009), stated that the reason for these
challenging stresses for the teacher are caused by young people misbehaving within school,
especially in the starting years of teaching practices (Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahy, 2009). This
report discusses different literature reviews on the topic of “why young people misbehave” and
seeks relevant strategies within literature in which misbehaviour can be dissolved in the
classroom environment. The paper also draws on the common misbehaviour themes of young
people by interviewing and collecting different opinions from diverse people within the society.
This includes teachers, parents, pre-service teachers and professional individuals. Finally, this
paper provides personal reflection upon improving teaching praxis to manage behaviour along
with the complications that proceed with it.

Despite the amount of attention that’s been placed on the literature researches regarding the
management of misbehaviours in school, there is still a large gap between research findings
and the outcome achievement been effectively used to manage misbehaviour. This is due to an
increase of causative factors that lead to misbehaviour in school. Many in which are related to
expansion of social factors within the school society. The indiscipline act in the class is defined
as students disturbing their peers, being verbally or physically abusive towards the teacher and
been late to class or student dismissal from class (Peguero, et al., 2010).

School is a profound institution where young people develop their knowledge. Schools are also
environmental mediums for socialisation and self-belonging (Finn, Fish & Scott, 2008).
Peguero, Popp, Latimore, Shekarkhar & Koo (2010) articles indicated that one of the main
reasons misbehaviour occurs is where the students have a weak social bond, class climate and
poor teacher communication. In contrast, students who feel belonging are less likely to defy
school rules. This relationship between school attachment and behaviour are linked to many
factors which parents, schools and grade level are considerable as complication.
According to teachers involved in Finn, Fish & Scott (2008) survey, data from this survey
showed that about 17% of teachers reported a frequency misbehaviour in their class. As a
results 4-5 hours of class time is affected each week. Furthermore, their results showed that
school associated with high percentage of misbehaviour are more likely to have low level of
students graduate (Finn, Fish & Scott, 2008). Similar research conducted by Freeman et al
(2015) to demonstrate the link between student’s misbehaviour and academic achievements. In
this article, the authors explored the efficiency of implementing different programs such as
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions programs. Over the period of applying this
study, an increase in student’s attendance has been reported and students tend to engage more
with the school environment (Freeman et al., 2015).

Interviews
This report is designed to employ different points of views to improve the confirmability in
finding the answer to “why young people misbehave at school’. Six people participated in
formal interviews where they convey their own opinion on the topic. At the beginning of each
interview, an ethical protocol was followed and the interviewees were informed the purpose
for their involvement in the report. The participants were the following, (A) father of teenaged
boys, moved to Australia in 2014(B) a single male, teacher (C) Single mum, three kids. (D)
female, pre-service teacher. (E) single male, a pharmacist (F) male, IT graduate. The
interviews were conducted using open-ended questioning. At the beginning of each interview,
some topics and questions were pointed out to introduce the interviewee to the topics such as,
how their experience in school was different from other people’s and why do they think
students misbehave, why they think students do not engage with learning and instead disrupt
learning in the classroom, what is the effect of the environment in the student’s life. All the
conversation during the interviews were audio recorded then they were further analysed and
then transcribed into different themes and findings.

Findings:

Theme one: miscommunication.

The students poorly understand the contexts and what the are required to do, as a result they
interrupt the classroom. The teacher doesn’t understand the home environment students live
in (interviewee F). My children’s (interviewee A) had hard time trying to communicate
directly with the teachers. Also, some teacher was not giving enough time for them to
participate in some activities and therefore they usually tend to fail and disengage with
learning.

Theme two: unfulfilled needs of students – attention seeking

A majority of participants pointed out the essential aspect of meeting different needs of
students during classroom activities. As interview (D,C,F) explained, young people generally
seek teacher’s attention and peer’s respect and one way to achieve this is through
misbehaviour. More misbehaviour occurs when the students feel bored when the lesson is not
constructed in a way by which they can engage with learning and as a consequence student
misbehave distracting the teacher. (interview B) Student may be more sensitive for instant,
teacher may put a student in a group where he/she isn’t familiar with causing disinterest so
they misbehave in the class to fill the time.

Theme three: stage of growth

Interviewee (C) people’s behaviour is extremally motivated by external environment.
Moreover, (C) added teenage students tend to hang out with older kids who are stereotyped
as “cool kids in the school”. This kind of relation leads kids towards misbehaving to impress
those older “cool kids”. Interview (A,B,C,D,E) related the stage were adolescent the body
acquired to repaid changed caused by secretion of different hormones.

Theme four: traumatic events - school and home environment

All the participants in this report commented on the interaction between the home and school
environment. Interviewee (B,F) indicated, students bring home environment to schools
through their misbehaviour. This disturbance may result from wealth, social interaction or
even some parent putting a huge pressure on students to gain high academic results.

Discussion

The participants provided direct evidence of various types of misbehaviours that can occur at
schools and the nature in which most of these misbehavers are influenced. The first theme
posed by the interviewees was class differentiation and communication. As argued by De
Nobile, Lyons & Arthur-Kelly (2017), the communication factor can be a significant
influence of student’s behaviour, linked to misbehaviour and disengagement. In addition,
there is a high concern of student’s misbehaviour associated with experiencing a lack of
learning (p120). The interviewee (A,F) mentioned the importance of differentiation of teacher
practice to meet student’s needs through engaging them to context that is relevant to students’
experiences. Similarly, the lack of communication aspect between teacher and student can be
attributed to student’s misbehaviour. This relation is strongly relevant to student’s
indiscipline act. Cothran et al. (2009) reported that one-way students act to seek quality
teaching practice in the class is to misbehave and seek more attention from the teacher.
Nerveless, Nobile, Lyons & Arthur-Kelly (2017), explain the choice theory, individuals
misbehave when boredom is present in the classroom therefore people attempt to satisfy their
current and future needs and to fill their non-attractive time misbehaving (p.233).

Lewthwaite et al (2015) conducted a study that advocated the significant of implementing

culturally relative pedagogy into the classroom and the potential for teachers’ knowledge of
student’s community and life experiences to achieve student engagement (Lewthwaite et al.,
2015). However, Sun & Shek (2012) indicated, in their article “Classroom Misbehaviour in
the Eyes of Students” there are different misbehaviour perception between teaches and
students. For instance, students find arguing or talking back to teacher as normal process of
expressing self, whereas this kind of act maybe problematic for the teachers. This finding
reflects the critical point introduced by several interviewees stating students misbehave
because of boredom and disinterest.

In addition, at certain stages of a student’s life their misbehaviour can be part of their
development. As added by interviewee (A,C,D), students in the secondary school enter the
stage of adolescent where many biological and emotional changes occur. Bohanon et al., (2012)
showed that there is established link between the adolescent stage and misbehaviour. Many
which emerge due to the contemporary social and biological adjustment adolescents experience
(Bohanon et al., 2012). Furthermore, during this stage, young people usually start to form peer
groups with older students and those without academic goals. Therefore, influential of low
learning expectation may causes bad behaviour (Ansary & Luthar, 2009; Cokley, McClain,
Jones & Johnson.,2012).

This phenomenon of peer pressure was mentioned by multiple interviewees however, they did
not discuss the variation in acting up between boys and girls whereas the article by Ansary &
Luthar (2009) gives an insight into different forms of peer grouping along with the pressure
associated with it. The article showed a higher influence of peer pressure in boys than girls.
The authors relate this difference due to variation in maturation and cognitive development
between girls and boys (Ansary & Luthar, 2009). Equally, all participants highlighted the
effects of excessive use of technology in younger generation as a causative agent of
irresponsible behaviour. In contrast, Erdogan et al., (2010), administrated the effects of over
use of technology in the classroom as well as in everyday students live has more benefits to
engage student with learning than its side effects. Furthermore, technological skills are
fundamental attributions to student’s future success (Erdogan et al., 2010). The interviewees
missed other aspects such as, family dynamic, socioeconomic status. (Chimwamurombe,
2011). In high school parents tend to put more pressure on the students to achieve certain grades
which in turn can negatively influence self-esteem, causing students to misbehave in the school
(p. 22-37). Another article by Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahy (2009) highlighted the impact of
poor communication of parents as a main contributor to students’ misbehaviour. Thus, the
findings emphasise that students discipline is highly related to their home environment and
background especially due to violence and student’s inability to have a balanced well rounded
supportive environment (Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahy., 2009).

Implications

The finding presented in this paper shows that students misbehaviour is driven by several
factors many of which can be overcome through implementing a different teaching approach.
Firstly, it is evident that productive communication can change the outcome of misbehaviour
and the overall learning experience. Engels et al (2016), suggested spinning holistic perception
around discipline and classroom programme where inquiry base learning approach is
implemented. This approach allows all students to be equally involved and be the centre of
learning rather than the teacher. As results, the students gain more knowledge about the topics
they are learning and ultimately, will focus on their responsibilities and level of work rather
than experiencing boredom (Ansary & Luthar, 2009). Secondly, according to theoretical
perspective of choice theory and psycho-education, students in general are disciplined unless
their needs aren’t addressed. In addition, students are easily distracted from learning via
external situations outside the classroom or event when the activities they conduct are not
interesting. Therefore, students would engage with learning due to a positive teaching attitude
and when context has more meaning to them (Rudasill, Reio, Stipanovic & Taylor, 2010).
Thirdly, teaching practice should consider that students needs to be provided with physiological
comfort in the classroom and be able to grow and achieve high academic level (De Nobile,
Lyons & Arthur-Kelly, 2017. P, 142-149). This potential is also supported by cognitive
behaviour theory, preposing that behaviours are driven following the internal emotion observed
by several factors including personal interest or acceptance, family and peer pressure.
Moreover, the points revised from the literature review and participants point of view, it is
evident that teaching pedagogy is responsible for reducing misbehaviour and maintaining a
positive environment by investigating the causative factors of students’ misbehaviour rather
than just punishing them. This can be secured through listening to students opinions and
applying the goal of choice theory, allowing the student to express their different needs.
Therefore, the implication for teaching pedagogy should be based on communication. As
mentioned earlier positive teacher and student communication is key to student discipline.
Furthermore, as a future teacher I believe that an effective communication outcome should
involve parents and the whole school and community. This ensures that teachers deeply
recognise student’s issues and are effectively able to collaborate with others to best approach
solutions to the problems. By employing different programs throughout the school,
communication will improve students educational experience and as result reduce
misbehaviour acts.

In conclusion, it is evident that many factors can alter student behaviour, these social and
emotional factors can create a change in student behaviour. By addressing the student’s
requirements, we can establishment a positive environment that supports the students guiding
them towards a positive school experience. Through productive communications and positive
teacher mentoring, students can achieve higher than previously perceived expectations.
Through concern for student’s wellbeing and formulating topics around student experiences to
better engage the students we can help them achieve academic triumphs and reduce classroom
boredom and thereby reduce misbehaviour in the class and better encourage students towards
future successes.
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