Preschool Teacher Perspectives on Challenging Behavior and Behavior Management in Teacher-Student Relationships

Abstract Challenging behavior is an expected part of development among preschool children, but persistent disruptive behaviors can lead to teacher stress and burnout and negative student-teacher relationships. Challenging behaviors are disruptive behaviors that interfere with teaching and learning and can sometimes threaten the safety of children and teachers in the classroom. According to current research, students’ academic success is contingent on the nature of the relationships they have with their teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore preschool teachers’ perspectives regarding challenging behaviors and how the strategies they use to manage such behaviors could affect relationships with students who exhibit challenging behaviors. Research questions focused on teacher description of how challenging behavior and their response to this behavior affects their relationship with the child. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping served as this study’s conceptual framework for this study. Data for this study were gathered from 10 Head Start teachers who were interviewed using the think-aloud interview method applied to scenarios depicting challenging behavior that were drawn from actual events. Thematic coding was applied to the resulting data to answer the study’s research questions. Study findings showed that most teachers believed challenging behaviors and behavior management do not affect their teacher-student relationships, but some teachers felt threatened by children who exhibit challenging behavior. The findings of this study may support the inclusive perspective of Head Start teachers in response to challenging behaviors and may lead to increased support for teachers and the children they serve