EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE DADE (FL) PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• NCJ Number: 51420
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 52 pages
• Corporate Author: Dade Cty Public Schools
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY OF STUDENTS' AND TEACHERS' VIEWS OF DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH, AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS OF DADE COUNTY, FLA., IS DOCUMENTED.

Abstract

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 519 ELEMENTARY, 215 JUNIOR HIGH, AND 100 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. RESPONSE RATES WERE 62, 65, AND 74 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY. DATA WERE ALSO OBTAINED FROM 52 ELEMENTARY, 560 JUNIOR HIGH, AND 67 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR. TEACHERS WERE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE METHODS THEY USED TO DEAL WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR. JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS REPORTED SPENDING CONSIDERABLY MORE TIME COPING WITH INCLASS DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR THAN DID ELEMENTARY OR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. THE VARIABILITY OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR FROM CLASS TO CLASS WAS GREATER AT THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THAN AT THE OTHER LEVELS. JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS ALSO HAD THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SPECIFIC INCIDENTS REPORTED BY TEACHERS, INCLUDING THOSE DIRECTED AT TEACHERS PERSONALLY, THOSE DIRECTED AT TEACHERS' BELONGINGS, AND THOSE DIRECTED AT OTHER STUDENTS. TEACHERS AT ALL LEVELS FELT THAT IT WAS PRIMARILY THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO HANDLE DISRUPTIVE INCIDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM AND THAT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WERE HELPFUL MAINLY IN PROVIDING BACKUP ASSISTANCE. THE MAJORITY OF TEACHERS FELT THAT THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM INCORPORATES BOTH SECURITY SYSTEMS AND BEHAVIORAL/EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES. MOST OF THE TEACHERS FELT THAT THE PROBLEM OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR WAS INTENSIFYING, AND THAT MOST SUCH BEHAVIOR IS CAUSED BY A RELATIVELY FEW EASILY IDENTIFIABLE DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS. ACCORDING TO STUDENT RESPONSES, THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR TAKES PLACE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THE STUDENTS FELT THAT THEY WERE IN THE GREATEST DANGER COMING TO OR GOING HOME FROM SCHOOL. FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE SOURCE OF THIS DANGER WAS PERCEIVED TO BE OLDER STUDENTS FROM NEARBY SCHOOLS. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS APPEAR TO BE MORE LIKELY THAN OLDER STUDENTS TO REPORT INCIDENTS OF SERIOUSLY DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR DIRECTED AT THEM. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN JUNIOR OR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO FEEL THAT THEIR SCHOOLS WERE SAFE. AT ALL GRADE LEVELS, STUDENTS FELT THAT KEEPING OUTSIDERS AWAY FROM THE BUILDING WAS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR. SUPPORTING DATA AND COPIES OF THE STUDY INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)