Year 5 teacher at Portsmouth Public Schools
A review of the current literature demonstrates that the competencies of school leaders are important for reducing disruptive behavior of students in the classroom. The lack of transformational leadership in schools is central to the problem of reducing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. In addition to these school discipline issues, American classrooms often suffer from secondary types of misconduct that disrupt the flow of classroom activities and interfere with learning. Almost half of class time is spent on activities other than teaching, and discipline problems account for a large portion of this lost educational time (Cotton, 1990).
The difference between transactional leaders and transformational leaders is similar to the differences between managers and leaders (Bass, 1990). Bass has redefined transformational leaders as exemplary influencers, motivators, passionate agents of change, confidence builders, promoters of innovative problem solving, inspiring motivators, and intelligent individuals. These transformational leadership competencies are needed to support the transformation of schools and address disruptive behaviour. Usova (2001) suggests that students’ disruptive behavior is a behavior shared by both teachers and the public, and that teachers are concerned not only with disruptive behavior in school, but with the general public as well. Therefore, teaching children in some classrooms today requires more diverse skills than ever before. Teachers’ attitudes as leaders in the classroom environment can be instrumental in shaping a child’s behaviour.
Rather than being able to facilitate the academic and social development of students, teachers devote a great deal of time and energy to improving such disruptive behaviors. Thus, educational time and academic achievement is affected. If this disruptive behavior is not addressed, it can become deviant behaviors, and teens who display these behaviors are classified as at risk. In recent years, stress has been cited as an important factor in high rates of turnover and absenteeism among teachers.
Similarly, interventions that focus exclusively on delinquents and thus increase contact with other delinquents are often counterproductive, as they increase contact with peers who are more likely to worsen rather than improve student behavior. Disruptive student behavior describes student-initiated actions that range from tardiness to violence against classmates or faculty members. However, all disruptions, regardless of perceived seriousness, subtract from the already limited academic learning time and, in this regard, create a serious problem for teachers and students.
classroom environment
Disruptive students require more attention from the teacher, which makes it more difficult for the teacher to manage the rest of the class. Despite the issues posed by students with behavioral problems, little has been done to the way these students are treated in the United States. Disciplinary policy is usually a composite of local school board policy and teacher and principal implementation. The feeling of being outside the loop often leads to more disruptive behavior and affects the disturbed child’s motivation to excel academically in a school setting.
influence at home
Many studies indicate that one specific factor or situation does not cause children’s disruptive behavior. Instead, multiple factors contribute to and shape disruptive behavior over the course of development. Some factors relate to characteristics within the child, but many others relate to factors within the social environment (eg, family, peers, school, neighborhood, and community contexts) that enable, shape, and maintain aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, and related disruptive behavior problems. Comer’s (1988) research found that “the failure to bridge the sociocultural gap between home and school lies at the root of underachievement” (p. 43). Kummer further stated that “Model schools, with their hierarchical and authoritarian structures, cannot give underdeveloped or differently developed children the skills or experiences to fulfill the expectations of the school” (p. 46). Often, mistrust develops between teachers and parents. Thus, the plans call for schools to earn parents’ respect and develop relationships to increase their participation.
Recommendations for schools
The problem of disruptive behavior is so pervasive that the first recommendations for schools are to implement a leadership training program for teachers, administrators, and parents to help deal with the problem. However, it is recommended that schools make this change slowly, starting with an information dissemination programme. Empowering teachers and administrators with information like the results of the current study will provide them with the incentive to implement broad changes. Specifically, the importance of high-quality leadership demonstrated in this study should be a primary driving force for increased interest in leadership quality. Raising awareness of the importance of leadership, first among teachers and principals, and later among parents, will provide the necessary stimulus to efforts aimed at enhancing leadership quality. Once awareness is raised, real change in student behavior (i.e. reduction in disruptive behavior) will be possible both at school and at home. This will therefore have many positive effects for students who were previously disruptive, for other students in the class, as well as for parents and teachers who are currently dealing with disruptive behaviour.
References
Bass, B.M. (1990). The Leadership Handbook: Management Theory, Research and Applications (3rd ed.). New York: Free Press.
Kummer, JB (1988) Education of poor minority children. Scientific American, 259, 42-48.
Osova, GM (2001). Reducing discipline problems in primary schools: Approaches and suggestions. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Education.