Factors Causing Students’ Misbehaviour and its controlling Strategies: The Case of Government Secondary Schools in Gindeberet Woreda, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the factors that initiate students’ misbehaviour in school and handling strategies in the case of government secondary schools in Gindeberet Woreda, West Shoa Zone. The descriptive survey method was employed. Samples were drawn from 2-government high schools: teachers, students, unit leaders, principals, vice principals and supervisor 67 teachers and 239 students who were one-to-five organization leaders randomly selected to provide quantitative data. Unit leaders, principals, vice principals and secondary school supervisor were invited using availability sampling method to obtain qualitative data from the entire informant group. Analysis of quantitative data was entertained using SPSS 16.0 based statistics for calculating Frequency, percentage, and chi-square at 0.05 alpha levels of significance. The qualitative data obtained through interview were analyzed using narration. The results of the study reveal that the extent of misbehaviour in schools were high. The major cause of this misconduct problems were emanated from student, teacher and school. The common types of misbehaviour which frequently observable in school has been using mobile for disturbance in the school campus, refusing to do what teacher command them and bringing weapons to the class.Also the common teachers related factors that causes students misbehaviour were poor teaching, lack of good communication, irritation and emotional responses for learner’s and existence of poor facilities like recreation centers, water supplies, sport fields, books, laboratories and poor orientation to the rules and lack of appropriate procedures in the process of decision making were the major school related factors. Furthermore, the study revealed that: the controlling mechanisms of students misbehavior like: making school rules and Procedures, Presenting interesting and lively lessons, making eye contact, touching and facial expressions, reward and reinforcement application, punishment technique like in or out of school suspension, teaching student and staff, detention, strengthening the capacity of civic and ethical education in school, and calling students’ parents praising were the best ways of effectives controlling mechanisms of students misbehavior in school. Finally, recommendations were drawn based on the above findings. School administrator and school communities should organize a discussion session on the misbehavior problems in schools; scaling up for model behavioural assertiveness by students on discipline and fill school facilities. In other hand teachers and students should follow the school rule and regulation. Moreover, woreda education office and school principals should be prepared tiring on how to commonly apply the controlling mechanisms of students’ misbehaviour in school.