A study of disruptive behaviour in secondary schools, with special reference to the effectiveness of behaviour modification and withdrawal units

This thesis is the result of four years' part-time study by a practising teacher. It represents an attempt to identify ways of dealing successfully with disruptive secondary school pupils.A review of related literature, and some evidence adduced from previous research, provided the basis for a questionnaire. This was then used in six Essex comprehensive schools to ascertain teachers' opinions on:a) determinants of disruptive behaviour;b) effectiveness of methods used to deal with such behaviour. Respondents were identified according to sex, school and experience.Sub-sections of the questionnaire were cross tabulated and submitted to X2 tests of significance which revealed a trend suggesting that female teachers differ from male teachers in some of their opinions related to disruptive behaviour in schools. The survey also indicated that it is the upper-age range which causes most disturbance.The two methods found to be currently held to be most effective were withdrawal units and behaviour modification. The former was investigated via a case study approach which compared two types of administration policy, and the effect of an on-site withdrawal unit on two disruptive pupils. Behaviour modification was evaluated experimentally to examine whethera) it is practicable for class teachersb) if the technique is effective with upper-secondary pupils.Experimental and observational investigation revealed that in respect of this study behaviour modification was:a) difficult for the teacher to apply in the normal classroom situation following accepted research criteria, although it was found to be more practicable in less formal circumstances within an on-site withdrawal unit.b) a qualified success with this age group in that the improvements in behaviour as a result of this approach were found to be unenduring.It was concluded that, in respect of upper-secondary school disruptive pupils, rather than attempt to deal with the child in the normal classroom, it is preferable to withdraw the problem pupil to an on-site unit, where the application of procedures to deal with disruption can be more successfully applied to the benefit of both the child and' the school. The thesis concludes with a suggested model for dealing with seriously disruptive pupils