Pupil misbehaviour and classroom management: the impact of congruence

Abstract

Pupils’ misbehaviour has been attracting the attention of media, educators and policy makers in many countries over the past several decades. The literature on the subject is extensive and ranges across different disciplines, foci and methodologies. However, the call for new understanding is still strong, as the interest in the topic seems not to abate. The present study adds to the literature by exploring how secondary school teachers manage incidents of minor misbehaviour in class. A case study methodology has been used, including classroom observations and interviews of six subject teachers, teaching the same year 8 bottom-set class, within one comprehensive secondary school. A third source of data is constituted by relevant school documents. Analysis of the six cases suggests a theory (the Congruence Hypothesis), which might explain why some teachers are more effective than others in tackling minor misbehaviour in school. Relying on evidence from the data, the hypothesis suggests that, among the many factors influencing pupils' behaviour, a significant element is the degree of congruence between the teachers' belief system, their classroom conduct and the school culture. The theory builds upon a social ecological perspective – which considers the individual, organization, community, and culture as spheres nested into one another like Russian dolls (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) - and takes into consideration two of those spheres: the individual (called the personal congruence level) and the organization (the institutional congruence level). It is hypothesized that the more the teachers are congruent at both personal and institutional level, the less likely it is that pupils will engage in minor misbehaviour. The concept of congruence finds sparse application within the educational field and makes almost no appearance in the area of pupils' misbehaviour. Consequently, the thesis can be considered as pioneer work. However, the aim of the study is not to present a definitive statement, but to put forward a model that could serve as a framework for further reflection and understanding. The findings are a useful addition to the knowledge-base relating to effective teaching on matter of classroom behaviour management. Potentially they have implications for a range of stakeholders in both the informal and formal educational sectors, ranging from teachers and school leaders to governors, teachers' trainers and policy makers

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