To carry out an appropriate teaching and learning process, the willingness and participation of both students and teachers are required. However, fostering an appropriate school environment is the teachers’ job, but sometimes student behavior complicates the teacher’s work.
What is Behavior?
But, what is a behavior? And, what is conduct? Conduct is any activity that can be observed and measured. In other words, what a subject does or says, their response to a specific stimulus or context. Whereas, behavior is the set of conducts. Although there are different classifications of conduct, here we will only mention behaviors known as disruptive, inappropriate, or undesirable.
What is Disruptive Behavior?
Disruptive behavior has been defined in various ways. For example, as disturbing and/or aggressive actions that disrupt harmony. That is, those that break discipline and reflect disobedience. In 1981, Forehan and McMahon defined disobedient behavior as “the refusal to initiate or complete an order given by another person within a specified period of time.” Thus, challenging teachers, starting fights, bothering classmates, having difficulty waiting and/or following instructions, among others, are often considered disruptive behaviors.
Such behaviors have a negative impact on the students’ learning process. However, sometimes the instruction is inadequate, making it likely that the child will “disobey.” Thus, children will throw tantrums or exhibit other undesirable behaviors with certain people or in particular situations. Hence, the importance of conducting a child behavior analysis, considering multiple factors such as the interaction between the child, the environment, and the person giving the order.
Behavior Modification
Undoubtedly, to modify behavior, there must be a balance between various components. Altered thought and environment can lead to undesirable behaviors. Therefore, it is important to work on these three components (thought-environment-behavior) simultaneously.
Regarding the environment, a distinction must be made between the family and school environments. As there is a possibility that one, or both, may be out of balance. On this occasion, only the environment in terms of school education will be considered.
The classroom learning environment, as its name indicates, is where teaching activities will take place within the classroom. As mentioned, the educator has the responsibility to foster a beneficial environment where harmony, trust, security, and respect prevail between the teacher and students, and vice versa. This type of environment encompasses the following four dimensions.
The Dimensions of the Classroom Learning Environment
- Physical: the available materials and how the space is organized (furniture, decoration, windows, etc.)
- Functional: how spaces are used, what is used, and under what conditions (teacher’s direction or student’s independence)
- Temporal: organization of time and pace of activities, how and when spaces will be used
- Relational: different relationships within the classroom; rules, the level of participation of the teacher and students (who and under what conditions)
But let’s remember that, whether for teaching or learning, collaboration between the teacher and students is necessary.
All conducts and behaviors are learned, so one can learn to behave appropriately in each situation.
What is a Positive Consequence?
In turn, behaviors that produce positive consequences will tend to be repeated. And what is a positive consequence? They are material rewards (sweets, money, toys, etc.), activity rewards (watching TV, playing with a tablet, going to the cinema, etc.), or social rewards (attention, a hug, a smile, etc.) that help reinforce behaviors. What’s impressive is that we can reinforce undesirable behaviors without realizing it. Commonly, the reinforcer in these cases is social, as more attention is often given to children exhibiting inappropriate behaviors. This is known as negative attention and occurs both at school and at home.
Behavioral Intervention Methodologies
Some of the most effective behavioral intervention methodologies are: token economy, behavioral contract, response cost, positive reinforcement, and extinction. These tools can be useful both within and outside the school context.
What are Inappropriate Behaviors Symptoms of?
Finally, it should be noted that, in reality, inappropriate behaviors can be a symptom of a problematic situation in the child’s life, outside the school context. While it is important to intervene from an educational perspective and re-educate undesirable behaviors, it is essential to inform the family and work together. This is due to the probability of these behaviors increasing during adolescence and adulthood, which can lead to more serious consequences. Ultimately, the control and modification of child behavior requires a multidisciplinary approach, including not only various professionals but also the family.