Assessment of Students Misbehavior and Coping Strategies (in The Case of Shashemene Secondary School).
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This thesis argues that student misbehavior, deep-rooted in a complex web of factors, is
among the salient factors that affects the learning teaching environment and the personality
and performance of the student him/herself. This in turns determines the academic
achievement at secondary school level and even beyond. It also claims that mismanaged
misbehavior has antisocial behavior as a detrimental outcome. In view of this, the study was
conducted to explore and describe the nature, prevalence, trends, severity, causes and effects
of student misbehavior along with the response mechanisms in Shashemene secondary
schools. Primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed. Quantitative data
obtained from the survey of sample students (360) and teachers (74) as well as qualitative
information obtained from a total of 13 key informants and two FGDs constituted the primary
sources of data. Complementary and/or supplementary data was also obtained from the
review of literature and pertinent documents. The results revealed that student misbehavior
that disrupts the classroom environment are highly prevalent. Nearly one in four students
misbehaves in a year at Shashemene school. The problem of misbehavior is not only prevalent
but also very stressful. Besides, misbehavior has been worsening across time. Meanwhile,
assessment of the causative factors uncovered Parent, Student, Teachers/School related
factors in their order of importance. Furthermore, it is almost unanimously agreed that
misbehavior is a hindrance to the learning-teaching process in the school as it principally
disrupts the learning-teaching environment. Effects on the student’s personality were also
emphasized, though damaging property was the least important effect. Eventually, the
findings on the school’s response mechanism uncovered problems and gaps that are much
more pronounced. Among others, failure to device and enforce tailor-made disciplinary rules
and regulations was the central tenet. In the end, the study draws conclusions, inter alia, on
the prevalence, magnitude, trends, cause and effects of student misbehavior as well as on the
problems associated with the school’s response mechanism. Finally, recommendations are
put in order for improved response mechanism to combat the problem of student misbehavior
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Keywords
Misbehavior;Coping ;Strategies