A Comparative Study of the Causes of Students Disruptive Behavior in Classroom and Behavior Modification Strategies Used by the University Teachers in Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to make a multi-dimensional comparison of the perceptions of university students and teachers about the causes of students’ disruptive behavior in classroom. To reduce or change the students’ disruptive classroom behavior, university teachers use different techniques or strategies. To get knowledge of the contemporary practice of behavior modification strategies which are used by the Pakistani university teachers, a survey based on the questionnaire about behavior modification strategies (QBMS) was conducted. The population of study consisted of 63,557 university teachers working in public universities of Pakistan during academic year 2012-13 and also 1.108 million Students studying in public sector universities at M.A/M.Sc. level. A gender wise comparison of the practice of behavior modification techniques in classroom by the university teachers was also made. For this study, five null hypotheses along with the alternative hypotheses were formulated and tested through T-test and ANOVA by using SPSS 22nd version as well as some statistical calculators available online. All the four provinces of Pakistan (Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Baluchistan) along with Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) were selected purposefully and from each area/province one public sector university was selected through convenient sampling. The students studying at M.A/M.Sc. level in five Pakistani universities during the academic year 201213 along with the teachers of these universities were the Participants of this study. From each selected university, forty(40) teachers and forty(40) students were selected through convenient sampling technique. So, there were two hundred (200) teachers and two hundred (200) students in which one hundred (100) teachers were male and one hundred (100) teachers were female. Similarly, there were one hundred (100) male and one hundred (100) female students in the sample of this study. The perceptions about the causes of student's disruptive behavior (items) were identified through literature review, exchange of views with university teachers and a pilot study conducted by the researcher that was based on a 46 items open-ended questionnaire (Initial version of questionnaire about the causes of disruptive classroom behavior (QCDCB).The latest version of QCDCB consists of 30 most frequent responses on the initial open-ended questionnaire administered in the pilot study. The items of the questionnaire (QBMS) were also identified through literature review. It was developed by the researcher for checking the knowledge and practice of behavior modification techniques in classroom by the university teachers. It was also validated and pilot tested. To check its content validity, it was sent to thirty experts. To check the reliability of the instruments, Cronbach’s alpha (α) was used as a statistical technique. Data was collected, tabulated, analyzed and verbally elaborated in a logical order. It was found that the physical environment of classroom i.e. temperature, the class size and seating arrangements lead to students’ disruptive behavior. Moreover, the health problems like hearing or weak eye-sight and the psychological problems like inferiority or superiority-complex, Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are also some prominent reasons for disruptive behavior. It was concluded that both male and female students from all over the country (Pakistan) think about the causes of disruptive classroom behavior in a same way but university teachers and students think differently about the causes of disruptive classroom behavior. It was recommended for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, the Directorates of Staff Development (DSD's) and the Teachers’ Training institutes of Pakistan to add the content about the causes of students’ disruptive behavior and behavior modification strategies in the curriculum of Teacher-Training programs i.e. B.Ed., M.Ed., and M.A Education.