A participatory process to facilitate support for learners who display disruptive behaviour in primary school classrooms

Abstract

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is the basis for this Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) study, which aims to develop collaborative strategies to facilitate support for learners who display disruptive behaviour. Attention is focused on the powerful capacity of stakeholders in enforcing discipline in schools when they collaborate. The focus of this research study was guided by the main research question: “What does a support process for dealing with disruptive behaviour developed through a participatory process encompass?” A total of 12 participants became the co-researchers in this study. The participants represented the various education stakeholders, which included members of the School- Based Support Team, the Disciplinary Committee, the School Management Team, parents, local social workers, and the District-Based Support Team from the Blydeville community in Lichtenburg, North West province, South Africa. They participated in a three-cycle process by engaging in scheduled action learning meetings; in which they collaboratively devised and implemented a research plan; and came together regularly to share and critically reflect on the emerging findings. Participants were thus actively involved in identifying problems and finding solutions. Qualitative data generation strategies applied in this study included focus group interviews, observations, drawings, interviews, and reflective journals. Participation in the action learning process made the stakeholders aware of the value of collaboration, as well as the critical reflection skills of each participating member. They aimed to develop a strategy to support learners and to become better at the implementation of policies and laws applicable to disruptive behaviour. The results indicated that disruptive behavioural problems in schools do indeed exist. These problems are caused by factors relating to the learners, their parents, their teachers, and their community. The study made recommendations for teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders on how to improve the situation, and suggested aspects for further study. At the beginning of the PALAR process, participants were all aware of the various forms of disruptive behaviour that occur in the classroom. Participants collectively identified forms of disruptive behaviour that occur in the classrooms, namely

absenteeism, coming late for classes, peer interaction, not writing, and many other aspects. Poor parental involvement and lack of commitment from teachers were identified as factors contributing to the disruptive behaviour of learners. Participants also found that teachers and parents do not have the proper skills to deal with disruptive behaviour. In gaining an understanding of different forms of disruptive behaviour, participants suggested that schools must profile learners, obtain information on the most common disruptive behaviour occurring at the school level, and identify factors that could be the cause of the disruptive behaviour (environmental factors, limited resources, etc.). Profiling also involves communicating with parents/families to give feedback about learner behaviour, gaining more information about the situation at home, and building a trusting relationship between the teacher and the parent/guardian. Furthermore, the school must review the school code of conduct with parents and learners, and implement it consistently. There is also a need to workshop teachers on effective methods of discipline, which demonstrate love and care towards the learners when disciplining learners. Schools must also have positive collaboration with other stakeholders like the Department of Social Development (DSD), the Department of Safety, and others that could help support learners who display disruptive behaviour. The PALAR process encountered some challenges. Initially, the participants were not keen to share their experiences and knowledge because they did not want to be judged. They gradually started showing more interest in the process and being more open to sharing as they understood that they were going to learn from each other. A further limitation of the study was that during this time the government implemented COVID-19 regulations (social distancing). The scheduled meetings with participants were difficult to arrange, so the number of meetings had to be reduced and participants were required to meet under strict social distancing conditions.