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Children and young people go through many stages in their lives, many which usually result

in a certain type of response from them. Among these responses is the act of misbehaviour,

when one displays actions of misconduct, disobedience and delinquency. In young people

acts of misbehaviour are usually more visible, especially in school environments. However, it

is important for one to understand the reasons which cause young people to misbehave. This

essay will address the reasons why students misbehave in school, which will be examined in

light of responses gathered from various individuals including teachers, parents, pre-service

teachers and non-teaching friends. These responses will be compared to research literature in

the field in order to determine the causes of student misbehaviour.

Misbehaviour is something which can be affected by the way students interact with those

around them, i.e. their peers and teachers. Teacher and student relationships can play an

important role in the attitudes of both parties. Demanet & Houtte (2012) highlight teacher

attitudes towards students as being a crucial cause for misbehaviour. This refers to the

expectations that teachers have of students and the way they influence student behaviour. For

example, a teacher who has low expectations of their students will result in the students being

less academically inclined as they would not be receiving any type of teacher support

(Demanet & Houtte, 2012). When students see that teachers have low expectations of them it

can cause them to act out with disruptive behaviour as well as feelings of goal blockage,

causing them to see schooling as pointless (Demanet & Houtte, 2012). The article also

highlights strain theory as a cause for misbehaviour, for the inability of students’ to achieve

standard goals thus putting strain on them and resulting in misconduct. However, reasons for

student misbehaviour can also be attributed to the period of adolescence, as described by Lin

& Yi (2014). Most young people do not obtain enough sleep which results in disengaged and

antisocial behaviours, studies have also shown that a lack of healthy sleep in young people

increases the likelihood of delinquency and substance abuse (Lin & Yi, 2014). The period of

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adolescence itself is accompanied by an increase in conduct problems as well as physical,

cognitive and emotional changes (Lin & Yi, 2014). A study conducted in schools on the

reasons for student misbehaviour outlined factors such as boredom and attention seeking,

commonly from the opposite gender as causes. In this study teachers were asked to respond,

who also named a poor home environment as a reason for student misbehaviour (Cothran,

Kulinna & Garrahy, 2009). Some research outlined the state of the school as a contributor to

misbehaviour, which is if the environment of the school is one where there are gangs present,

racial tensions and learning disruptions it can influence students into misbehaviour and

disengagement from learning (Peguero & Bracy, 2014). Such disorder in a school would also

cause feelings of unsafeness, resulting in depression, poor cognitive functioning and no

academic motivation (Peguero & Bracy, 2014). Alongside such research into the causes for

misbehaviour, other studies show that misbehaviour is in fact predictable and thus

preventable (Landrum, Scott & Lingo, 2011). This connects the predictability of

misbehaviour to the factors of the surrounding environment and states that if teachers are able

to identify the predictors, then they are usually able to manipulate them to prevent

misbehaviour (Landrum, et al, 2011).

The interviews which were conducted for this study were carried out in an informal way.

Prior to the interview each participant was asked for permission to be a part of the interview

and its purpose was thoroughly explained. On the day of the interview the participant was

given the information sheet to read and sign the consent form before beginning the

conversation. The interview was based on the key question and more questions arose

following the discussion in order to get more insight on the participants’ views. The six

participants included two parents, male and female, both whose ages were between 50-55,

two teachers, a male teacher who was highly experienced and a female teacher who was still

recent in the teaching field. This was so, in order to gather the views of different levels of

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teachers and to see how they’re views compared. A female pre-service teacher and a female

non-teaching friend both between the ages of 21-25 were also interviewed. The three key

areas which were most spoken about as a cause for misbehaviour were student-teacher

relationships, the home environment and a student’s inability to grasp content. Four out of six

of the participants agreed that the type of relationship that teachers have with their students is

important in determining whether a child misbehaves or not. The female teacher stated,

“Usually a student has a connection with one specific teacher and they just don’t get along

with other teachers”. Similarly, the male teacher saw a student’s inability to connect with the

teacher as a cause for misbehaving. Five out of the total participants attributed misbehaviour

as beginning from the home environment of the student. The non-teaching friend focused on

instilling discipline into children, “if the family does not push discipline in the upbringing of

their children, or have consequences for misbehaviour, the child will behave the same way in

school”. The male parent also resonated this idea, whilst also identifying a lack of attention

and support from their parents, as a reason for misbehaviour in school. A focus on the value

of schooling was pointed out by the male teacher who saw a lack of value placed on

education from home, would cause students to disrupt the learning environment. All six of

the participants saw a lack of understanding the content as causing misbehaviour. However,

there were various aspects which contributed to a lack of understanding, these included any

medical learning difficulties, content being too high or too low for the students level and the

content not being what the student wanted to learn, thus leading to boredom and

disengagement.

Despite some common themes arising from the interviews, each participant had their own

perceptions of those themes as well as contrasting views on the reasons for student

misbehaviour. Some of the similarities can be seen between the participants’ views on

teacher-student relationships and the article by Demanet & Houtte (2012). The male parent

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identified a lack of encouragement and teacher support as contributing to student behaviours

getting out of hand. Demanet & Houtte (2012) also present a similar stance, where low

teacher expectations lead to less supportive teacher and student relations. Likewise, the

female parent was adamant that without any sense of support or common ground relaying

from the teacher to the student, the student would most likely act out.

In terms of students not understanding the content, this concept was covered by a range of

contrasting responses by the interviewees. The non-teaching friend cited a lack of classroom

resources and devotion from the teacher as being a cause for students’ not understanding

content. If enough time was being given to the students’ to learn, there would be higher

chances of them understanding the content and thus, staying on task and behaving. The

preservice teacher and male parent both saw a lack of student direction causing students’ to

struggle with content. That is, content being taught which the student is not interested in and

without sufficient classroom engagement, the students’ will be more prone to misconduct.

The female parent had a very different view, she cited students’ not being able to learn in a

traditional classroom setting as the cause. If a student is not able to understand the content,

due to the way the classroom functions, it may lead them to play up and disrupt the class.

Here her view resonates with strain theory identified by Demanet & Houtte (2012). Strain

theory labels the inability for students to achieve conventional goals as a reason for

misbehaviour (Demanet & Houtte, 2012). The view of both the teachers were also different,

the male teacher named numeracy and literacy issues that a student was struggling with due

to cognitive factors such as a low attention span or memory level, as causal to content

understanding and misbehaviour. Whilst the female teacher focused on medical conditions

such as ADHD and dyslexia, causing learning difficulties for students. When a student is

struggling with a learning disability they may choose to play up rather than admit their

weakness in front of their peers.

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Among the other responses from participants, all listed factors such as boredom, attention

seeking and a poor home environment as further contributors to misbehaviour. These points

are resonated in the article by Cothran et al (2009). Another similarity is the stance of the

male parent on the process of adolescence as a cause for misbehaviour. He cited a lack of

proper sleep in adolescent lifestyles as well as the intake of unhealthy food, especially those

with high levels of additives as contributing to misbehaviour. The article by Lin & Yi (2014),

presents similar views, attributing unhealthy sleep practices in adolescents as a reason for

antisocial behaviour and issues of misconduct. The views presented in the articles by Peguero

& Bracy (2014) as well as that by Landrum et al (2011) were not raised in the conversation

with the interviewees. The views of the participants’ explore various reasons not covered in

those two articles.

These responses have shown that there are a range of reasons which cause students to

misbehave in school. However the most important reason would be a lack of understanding

the content, whether the cause is for medical reasons, not being able to learn in a traditional

classroom setting or not showing interest in the learning, it is important for teachers to supply

the necessities that students’ need which will target their issue and prevent the misbehaviour.

The information found in the research articles as well as the responses obtained from

interviewees, has provided a sufficient view on the reasons which cause students to

misbehave in school. Perceptions from various individuals opens up the scope to this topic as

each person responds from their own level. A key strategy that has been learnt from these

findings to use in teacher practice is maintaining supportive classroom environments. No

student should be felt left out or that the teacher doesn’t care about their learning. Teachers

should also try to accommodate all the diversity of students in their class and create activities

which cater to the needs of all students, i.e. students with medical difficulties which prevent

them for learning in a conventional manner. Keeping students engaged in the content, no

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matter the various ways it is accomplished in, will keep them attentive in class and away

from any distractions and surrounding factors which may become reason for misconduct. For

students who come from an unstable home environment for example, hands on activities will

keep them occupied and let them focus that energy towards something they enjoy doing,

rather than something they feel they are forced to comply with.

In order to ensure that teachers are providing supportive learning environments for their

students, teachers should try to create a one-on-one relationship with the student. For

example when students are doing work in pairs or groups, the teacher should make sure to

visit each group and discuss any questions and ideas about the topic. It is also important for

teachers to create a space of common ground with the student as this enables them to get on

the students’ level and allows the student to have an understanding with the teacher.

Teacher’s should also ensure teaching strategies are creative and diverse so all students can

participate. Activities which are different from a traditional classroom setting are important

as it allows students who are prone to misbehaviour to direct their energy into a positive

outcome. This can be achieved through effective communication with the student, if a student

is prone to disrupting the class it is necessary for the teacher to make themselves clear on

what they expect from the student, whilst also listening to what the student has to say, i.e. the

cause for their misbehaviour, the content they wish to learn/change or what it is in the class

they are not able to manage with. Communication between the two also allows for the student

to be felt valued as they will know someone is there to listen to what they have to say, it

might also be that sense of support and encouragement that the student needs which will keep

them more connected to the class and reduce their chances of misbehaving.

To conclude, reasons why students misbehave can be due to a wide range of reasons. The

responses gathered from the participants in the interview as well as the relevant literature in

this field present various causes for student misbehaviour. The three key areas which arose

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from the interviews include the teacher-student relationship, the stability of the students’

home life and their inability to understand concept. For teachers to be aware of these reasons

is crucial as only then can strategies be put forward to address the issues and ultimately

reduce the factors for student misbehaviour.

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References

Cothran, J. D., Kulinna, H. P., & Garrahy, A. D. (2009). Attributions for and consequences of

student misbehaviour. Physical Education and Sort Pedagogy, 14 (2), 155-167.

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com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1080/17408980701712148

Demanet, J. & Houtte, V. M. (2012). Teachers’ attitudes and students’ opposition. School

misconduct as a reaction to teachers’ diminished effort and affect. Teaching and

Teacher Education, 28, 860-869. Retrieved from http://ac.els-

cdn.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/S0742051X12000522/1-s2.0-S0742051X12000522-

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Landrum, J. T., Scott, M. T., & Lingo, S. A. (2011). Classroom Misbeahviour is Predictable

and Preventable. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(2), 30-34. Doi: 10.1177/003172171109300207

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Lin, H-W. & Yi, C-C. (2014). Unhealthy Sleep Practices, Conduct Problems, and Daytime

Functioning during Adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(2), 431-446.

Retrieved from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/article/10.1007/s10964-

014-0169-9

Peguero, A. A. & Bracy, L. N. (2014). School Order, Justice and Education: Climate,

Discipline Practices and Dropping Out. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 25(3),

412-426. Retrieved from

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/10.1111/jora.12138/full