Causes of disruptive behavior in school

  

Date Posted: 2/1/2015 2:56:23 AM

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Causes of disruptive behavior in school

Introduction

This paper will critically discuss the causes of disruptive behavior in school in Kenya and suggest solution to mitigate this problem. In most school across Kenya there is increase in misbehaviors due to main challenges that faces student. Some of the factors that affect children are poverty, adolescent stage or development stages, environmental factors (Drug abuse) and school administration structure. Some of the ways students express misbehavior include conduct (e.g. distracting, attention-seeking, calling out, out-of-seat); immaturity and verbal and physical aggression (bullying), attention deficit hyperactive disorder. These behaviors may greatly affect or disrupt class section or cause other students to fail in their examinations. The classrooms where disruptive behavior occurs frequently gets less academic engaged time, and the students in disruptive classrooms stand in low category in achievement tests. Furthermore, attempts to control disruptive behaviors cost considerable teachers’ time at the expense of academic instructions in the class.

Some of the causes of misbehavior include:

1. Poor Parenting
Before a child joins school he/she usually has a well developed behavior acquired from home and it’s environ. Most children are lucky enough to be brought up feeling valued and loved by our parents, but sadly this is not always the case. If a child feels starved of attention and care from its parents, this can lead to some very negative consequences. For example, the child may not have been able to learn the usual rules about which behaviors are socially acceptable and which are not, leading to disruptive behaviors. Such students cause a lot of problems to the teacher and entire class leading to prolonged arguments and fighting in class. Another possibility is that the child may also begin to seek the attention that they desire in other areas, such as in the classroom. In order

to attract attention, they may display disruptive behaviors. Another cause of misbehavior may come from overprotective parents who do not anything incase their children’s do something wrong (Bear, 2005).

2. Peer pressure (Bad influences on a student’s local community)
Another cause of children's misbehavior comes from local community or where the child is brought up from. Children who are brought up in environment where there is a lot of violence and drug use tend to acquire the same behavior. Most of this students get involve with drug peddlers and who supply the same drugs to other students. Their behavior may be influenced by what they see in their community and environment.

3. Poor teaching
Another cause of bad behavior by students in class may be due to poor teaching methods by the teachers. One of the first things that a teacher has to think if a student is disrupting the class is "is it me?" Even the most disruptive students will sit for hours on computer games or other hobbies that they enjoy, so maybe it's just that the lessons aren't interesting enough.

4. Poverty
Poverty has been cited as a source of disruptive behavior in students. Children coming from poverty stricken family tend to exhibit disruptive behavior and they rarely concentrate in class. They are mostly challenged since they spend most of their time to think where they can get the next meal to keep them going. Furthermore, children from poor family tend to steal things from other students such as book and food for them to sell. This causes disturbance in the class making them learning difficulty for other children (Rosen, 2005).

5. Teachers’ negative attitude towards student
The attitude of the teachers towards the students matters a lot for effective teaching to take place. Most students notice when the teachers do not show acceptance and understanding towards their needs and challenges. This may cause friction between the teachers and students in class. Most students may rebel against the teacher through making noise and avoiding their class. Students may also not share their challenges with the administration with in time may cause strikes and school unrest.

6. Repeating change in subject teacher
Constant change of subject teacher in the same class and term may cause unrest in the class. Schools that change class teachers for specific subject every time may make students loose confident in the subject. Different teachers come with different mode of teaching and understanding their students. The students also have their way of understanding specific teacher. This balance gets easily disturbed when the administration keeps on changing subject teacher for the students. The students may find it hard understanding new teachers which may cause distress and interference of the class.

7. Repeating the same class for students

Making students repeat same class may cause the students to have disruptive behavior. Students who repeat the same class may easily disturb other students causing problem in class. Students should not be made to repeat same classes.

8. Classroom poor conditions (lack of Lighting, ventilation, sounds etc.)
The condition for most schools lack basic facilities such as lack of lighting, ventilation and desks. Students are made to share desks and books, which in most cases causes fighting between the students. Lack of ventilation and proper lighting may make students uncomfortable and uneasy which may result into bad behaviors in class.

Some psychological problems of a student
Psychological well being of the students is affected by many factors in the school. Children who are abused by their parents tend to have psychological problem and withdraw from the rest of the students. This may cause the students to be violent and cause problems for the other students in the class (Walker, Ramsey, and Gresham, 2004).

Programs that can guide and counsel students engaged in disruptive behavior

1. Teachers in control of discipline
Teachers feel free to deal with their own problems themselves, although more senior members of staff may still be involved for serious offences. This offers opportunity for teachers to react to student’s challenges and offer guidance and counseling. The students would also develop respect for the teachers and their authority. Teachers should only involve senior teachers on matters that they cannot solve or more serious crime.

2. Using different method of teaching
The teacher can use various method of teaching to increase the motivation and morale of the students. Using different method of teaching provide opportunity for the students to learn from each other.

3. Teaching social problem solving for students
The direct teaching of social problem solving is now a common feature of programs for preventing and resolving discipline problems, as well as for treating students with the most serious antisocial behavior. Although these interventions vary in the strategies emphasized, they share a common focus on teaching thinking skills that students can use to avoid and resolve interpersonal conflicts, resist peer pressure, and cope with emotions and stress. The most effective are those that include "a range of social competency skills...and that are delivered over a long period of time to continually reinforce skills.

4. Teacher to Move around the class
Your presence is extremely powerful. Don't stay stagnant at the front of your class. Move around and don't allow the children to become distracted. Talk to them about their task. Give them deadlines. For example say: "I'd love to see two more ideas by the time I come back as your ideas are really interesting." Then walk and visit another child/pair but make sure you come back.

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