Teachers’ changing perspectives on misbehaviour: A qualitative study

Abstract

In this study, I have solicited the perspectives of teachers about their students who are characterized as misbehaving. These perspectives influenced how these teachers saw and interacted with the students. I present three approaches that provide a method for dealing with student behaviour: transactional, relationship-based, and behaviourism, and relate these to the perspectives held by study participants. Analysis of the data indicates that teachers who reported having respectful relationships with their own parents growing up viewed positive relationships as necessary when working with students who misbehave. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and future research are presented.