Introduction
Student misbehavior is one of the common problems in education, and primary school teachers must find effective solutions to help students and maintain high-quality learning processes. On the one hand, many outcomes are predetermined by students, their personal abilities, and their readiness to cooperate. On the other hand, the environment plays an important role because teachers are responsible for providing children with the best professional strategies and interventions.
Sometimes, students do not get enough attention from teachers, lack positive examples, and fail to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. As a result, increased school dropouts, rights violations, and additional stressors emerge. Indeed, the underlying mechanism for children’s misbehavior in the classroom can be attributed to attention seeking, boredom, class environment, and lack of interest in a subject.
Background and Contextualization of Children’s Misbehavior
Children’s misbehavior is a denotative with varying meanings depending on context. According to Orejudo et al. (2020), student misbehaviors are displayed by students in such forms as non-compliance, aggression, or disorganization and are characterized by the desire to go against classroom rules and adults’ expectations. Studies show that children’s misbehavior can intensify over time, resulting in increased unruly behavior and a decline in academic achievements (Lyons et al., 2003). The conduct is directly linked with disciplinary issues and needs careful action from teachers.
Boredom and Related Effects
There are many reasons for children to misbehave, and boredom in learning activities is one of the primary explanations. If a child has a negative perception of school or class, then that predisposes them to misbehaviors (Wilkinson et al., 2008). The situation makes them more likely to misbehave due to boredom as a mechanism for adding some interest to the learning time and dispersing the feelings of boredom. Conversely, Wilkinson et al. (2008) contend that when young learners lack pleasure during lessons or implementation of class activities, they tend to shift attention from the educational activity and instead focus on enjoying themselves. Therefore, boredom profoundly influences children’s attitudes and behavior in classroom settings.
Attention-Seeking Factors
Attention-seeking can contribute to children’s misbehavior in primary school classrooms because students need to be involved in any single activity adults offer. It is recommended that teachers be careful about how attentive students are during classes, including the length of lectures and excessive interactions (Zirpoli, 2008). Attention is a central desire in most young learners, with some having elevated levels of need.
Uncooperative behavior, cursing, making fun of others, and talking without taking a turn are all examples of ways children might draw attention to themselves in the classroom. In some circumstances, children might attempt to gain the attention of their teachers or peers because they are naturally friendly and grow in positive environments (Brandmiller et al., 2020). In contrast, some children can gain attention through anti-social behaviors like being impulsive rather than through social behavior.
Contribution of the Class Environment
Moreover, the class environment can contribute to children’s misbehavior in terms of safety, interest, and attractiveness. Improperly designed classrooms that could be better for learning but uninteresting for young students become a primary driver of children’s misbehavior (Lyons et al., 2003). Behavioral standards, codes of conduct, and lists of rights and responsibilities may be added to the environment as a reliable reminder for students not to forget what should and should not be done in the classroom (Lyons et al., 2003).
Attention should be paid to the classroom’s infrastructure and various physical elements, including furniture arrangements, graphic arts on walls, and learning materials. Besides other intangible elements like the temperature inside a classroom, the class rules, or even sounds around and within the class, the setting might provoke the child’s behavior. They influence class control organization and control with either positive or negative behavioral impacts on children.
Lack of Interest in a Subject
Additionally, a lack of interest in a particular subject can drive children’s misbehavior. Not all children are interested in the subjects they are taught in school. Zirpoli (2008) identifies the crucial myths of primary education, focusing on the impact of intrinsic reinforcement. Although many adults believe that children understand the worth of education in their lives, not all children are equally interested in what is offered. Students should not work only for intrinsic motivation, and if teachers fail to concentrate on extrinsic factors, misbehavior is observed (Zirpoli, 2008).
Another reason could be a lack of aptitude and a negative attitude towards given curriculum areas. Teachers might notice worsening behavior from a child in art or math sessions if they are disinterested in the subject. The observation is made more salient by the class teacher of the misbehaving children because they interact with them more frequently and effectively gauge if one of the learners lacks interest. Children might exhibit impeccable behavior in physical education yet conduct themselves despicably during math sessions.
Evaluation
Behavioral problems in children may be based solely on child-induced factors, and they may be catalyzed by the actions of their teachers. Wilkinson et al. (2008) contend that a substantial portion of children’s classroom misbehavior can be attributed to society, the children themselves, and teachers. The management of the classroom is at the discretion and capacity of teachers. They are responsible for motivating, imparting discipline, and attracting discipline in young learners during the learning process. Young learners are bound to misbehave if they fail to manage their classes effectively through proper teaching techniques and processes. Also, the burden can be shifted to the parents and society, who are responsible for nurturing and molding disciplined children.
Conclusion
The root causes of children’s misbehavior in the classroom can be linked to a desire for attention, boredom, the classroom environment, and a lack of interest in the subject matter. Misconduct issues are far-reaching and more complex than individual children-induced factors. Teachers and adults are central in determining children’s misbehavior and thus cannot be absolved from the problem. Shaping a child to desist from misbehaving in school requires a multi-pronged approach involving children, teachers, and other stakeholders to realize valid results in increasingly undisciplined elementary schools.
References
Brandmiller, C., Dumont, H., & Becker, M. (2020). Teacher perceptions of learning motivation and classroom behavior: The role of student characteristics. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 63. Web.
Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2003). Classroom management: Creating positive learning environments (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Orejudo, S., Navarro, J. J., Vicente, E., & Cardoso, M. J. (2020). Student misbehaviour and teacher coercion. A comparative study of contextual factors in primary and secondary education teachers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24). Web.
Wilkinson, J., Meiers, M., & Knight, P. (2008). Managing student behaviour in the classroom. Research Digest. Web.
Zirpoli, T. J. (2008). Behaviour management: Application for teachers (5th ed.). Pearson Education.