STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY TEACHERS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLASSROOM UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study sought to determine the strategies adopted by teachers in the management of classroom undesirable behaviours among junior secondary school students in Anambra State. Five research questions and five null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A quantitative descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A Sample of 600 teachers as respondents was drawn from the population of 6185teachers in the 257 State public secondary schools in the six education zones in Anambra State. In drawing the sample for the study, disproportionate stratified sample and simple random sampling techniques was adopted for the study. A 60-item instrument titled “Teachers’ Strategies on the Management of Classroom Undesirable Behaviours Questionnaires (TSMCUBQ)” developed by the researcher used for data collection. The instrument (questionnaire) face validated by three experts. Two in Educational Management and one in Measurement and Evaluation, all from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam.. The reliability of the instruments was determined using Cronbach Alpha which yielded coefficient of internal consistency of .88 and was considered reliable for the study. Data was collected by administering the instrument with the help of three trained research assistants. Data collected were analyzed with mean and standard deviation for research questions while the independent t-test statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.5 level of significance. Findings of the study showed that male and female teachers use reinforcement, counselling, social isolation and constructive confrontation in the management of classroom undesirable behaviours to a high extent among junior public secondary school students in Anambra State while male and female teachers use corporal punishment to a very high extent. The study also showed that there is no significant difference in the mean ratings of male and female teachers in the use of reinforcement, counselling, corporal punishment, social isolation and constructive confrontation in the management of classroom undesirable behaviours among junior public secondary school students in Anambra State. The study recommended among others that there is need for government to deliberately organize seminars, conferences, workshops and other symposium where experts could be invited to train teachers on the modern issues and changes in education as far as students’ disruptive behaviour is concerned. Again, school management and teachers need to work collaboratively in order to minimize the occurrences of disruptive behaviours in classrooms by implementing these strategies.