EDUC3620 Relationships for Learning Assignment 3

Key wider educational issues connected with

behaviour in educational settings
Introduction

Challenging, disruptive and poor behaviour are always a challenge for educators and

in particular new graduates. Generally, behaviour management is one of the most

challenging aspects for teachers (Hao & Lee, 2016). However, research is proving that not all

disruptive behaviours are caused by a child simply being naughty but can be linked to risk

and protective factors and mental health. This paper will discuss the four domains of risk

factors that can affect children, whilst also linking this to mental health to help explain some

behaviour exhibited in class. Recommendations on how to cope with behaviour, disabilities

and mental health in the classroom will be made based on ethical and effective educational

practices and policies that have presented throughout the duration of the topic.

Student behaviours of concern: risk and protective factors

Student behaviour in schools, home and the community can be affected by what is

known as risk and protective factors. Risk factors are described as being factors that can

negatively affect the child’s behaviour, social interaction or physical development, whilst

protective factors can have a positive influence (Margalit, 2010). There are a range of risk

and protective factors, these include school, family, community and personal factors (Public

Health England, 2015). Risk factors can include children who come from traumatic

backgrounds including abuse, abandonment and loss and these generally arise from the

family. Evidence suggests that children that have experienced some kind of disruption in the

home are at a higher risk of some form of mental health issue and will often display negative

behaviours (Fendrich, Warner & Weissman, 1990). This was something that was evident on

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placement, as there was a child who was experiencing issues at home. He was extremely

withdrawn from the lesson and didn’t want to participate. He was able to explain this

situation to the teacher and this really highlighted how much a disruption in the home can

affect classroom behaviour.

One example of a risk factor in a school environment is bullying and exclusion or loneliness.

As described by Sharabi, Levi and Margalit, (2012) loneliness is a major cause of distress and

can pose a developmental risk to children who experience prolonged loneliness. This can

have severe negative consequences for behaviour at school, home and in the community.

Sharabi, Levi and Margalit (2012) also explain that this can lead to mental health issues such

as depression. Depression is a major issue within school systems and makes the person feel

hopeless and overwhelmed (Sheppard, 1994). These feelings can often mean a person lacks

motivation and is inattentive, which can also lead to negative behaviours of irritability, anger

and frustration (Jewell & Beyers, 2008). However, these negative behaviours can also be

caused by a range of other reasons as well that relate to the home, community or even the

teacher.

Personal factors are also extremely important when it comes to risk factors. These include

children suffering from some form of disability or learning difficulty or a combination of

both. Remine and Brown (2010) found that even children that suffered from minor physical

disabilities such as poor hearing were at an increased risk of suffering from mental health

issues. The report also found that as the disability or learning difficulty severity increased so

does the risk of suffering from some form of mental health issue (Remine & Brown, 2010).

Sin, Francis and Cook (2010) also stated that around 40% of children with some form of

disability or learning difficulty will suffer from some form of mental health issue. In

comparison only 10% of children who do not suffer from any disability or learning difficulty

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will suffer from some mental health issue. One of the most common disorders that causes

negative behaviour in the classroom is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Children suffering from ADHD can exhibit extremely disruptive and antisocial behaviour in

the classroom which can sometimes be hard for educators to control (Margolis & Milham,

2016). This can lead to a destructive relationship between the teacher and the child and also

the child and their peers, which can then have a flow on effect to their home and

community life. This is why it is so important to put protective factors into place in schools,

the home and community.

The KidsMatter program along with a range of other programs are used in schools to put

these protective factors into practice (KidsMatter, 2018). Minnard (2002) advocates that

schools that try to implement these types of programs or successful prevention efforts can

often address risk factors on generally more than one level. The Department of Education

also enforces that teachers learn how to recognise, record and report abuse of children

under their care, this is one of the extremely important measures that schools take to

protect children (DECD, 2018). However, schools also use a range of other methods to

protect children. This is why it is of the upmost importance teachers become extremely

familiar with risk and protective factors and how they can affect behaviour in the classroom,

home life and community.

The relevance of mental health when considering behaviour in education settings

Mental health as previously discussed can be a serious consequence of school, home,

community and personal risk factors. This is a particularly important aspect that must be

considered when dealing with children that are described as having challenging, poor or

disruptive behaviour or children that have a disability.

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Mental health issues are of serious concern and should never be taken lightly, especially

when statistics show that suicide is now the leading cause of death for young people

(Lifeline, 2018). It is also estimated that there are around 65,300 suicide attempts per year

(Lifeline, 2018). These are highly concerning statistics and are generally a consequence of

poor mental health. Mental health implies that a person is able to form positive

relationships, perform in social roles, manage change and can cope with emotions such as

sadness (Bhugra, Till and Sartorius, 2013). Bhugra, Till and Sartorius, (2013) also state that

people with good mental health are also able to manage their behaviour and feel positive

about themselves. This is an important note because as highlighted children with a disability

can often suffer from mental health issues because some see themselves as different to

others, this can lead to negative thoughts about one’s self. These feelings and emotions can

also be highly driven by culture and personality traits (Bhugra, Till and Sartorius, 2013). An

example of children with a disability generally suffering from mental health issues is children

with ADHD, as it is referred to as a psychiatric disorder and affects a person’s ability to

function at school and home, this is then considered poor mental health (Bhugra, Till and

Sartorius, 2013).

Adults, teachers and the community have recently been raising a lot of awareness around

mental health and in particular getting rid of the stigma that surrounds mental health issues.

There are a range of mental health campaigns that are being promoted, these include

programs run by headspace or kids’ helpline that are trying to reduce the stigma and

support people with mental health (Headspace, 2018). The concern is that teachers and

schools are not responding in the best way to support students with mental health

difficulties or students that are at risk. These concerns have triggered many programs to

now be implemented in schools. These include the KidsMatter program which has been

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designed by health professionals to provide tools, methods and support to schools and

teachers which is shown to be making a positive difference to the lives of Australian children

(KidsMatter, 2018). However, it should also be noted that the way a teacher conducts their

classroom can have a huge impact on helping to manage behaviour and support mental

health.

Recommendations for ethical and effective educational practice and policy

A range of recommendations will be made in light of ethical and effective educational

practice and policy to help manage behaviour and support mental health. When it comes to

policy there are a few that are put in place when it comes to mental health and disability.

The Department of Education policy states that all children with a disability are entitled to

inclusive education, modified programs and support systems to try to ensure that students

learning outcomes and wellbeing are of the upmost importance (Department of Education

(DECD), 2017). From the policy, it is extremely important to create an inclusive classroom

and positive learning environment to support student wellbeing. Pastor and Reuben (2009)

note that schools are now becoming major services for many basic mental health

treatments including behaviour management, assessment and specialised programs. This

links in with what the Department is expecting of schools and teachers in schools. However,

how well schools are implementing this policy is still something that can be debated.

When it comes to pedagogy and teaching strategies, there are two that are extremely

important and are consistently mentioned throughout teacher learning at University. These

strategies involve creating positive relationships with students and creating positive learning

environments for all students. These are both very important to support mental health and

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manage behaviour, these are also protective factors that can be put into place in schools

(Killen, 2016).

Creating positive relationships with students is one of the most effective ways to engage

students, build resilience and manage behaviour (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016). Phillips,

Turner and Holt (2011) advocate that children that have supportive and caring relationships

with parents, teachers or caregivers increase resiliency among children and lead to

increased engagement in class and less negative behaviour issues within class. Van Ryzin

(2011) also agreed with Phillips, Turner and Holt (2011) and adds that positive relationships

with students can lead to a range of positive outcomes including higher academic

achievement. There are many ways teachers can go about creating these positive

relationships with their students, these include knowing every student by their name and

knowing relatives and family as well. It is also important that teachers take the time to get

to know the students, what they like or don’t like and what they enjoy doing on the

weekend as this creates some common ground that a teacher can always talk to that

student about. Whilst on teaching placement, it was very clear that the more time you took

to get the know the student the more they would ask questions and seek guidance when

unclear about something. It was also interesting to note how easily a student’s mood could

change when a teacher suddenly talked to the student about something they liked or even

made the content relate to something they love. By making connections between student

interests and the content it encourages students to become more involved with their

learning and have a positive attitude towards learning (Killen, 2016).

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As the DECD policy outlines it is important that classrooms are safe, supportive and

inclusive. This can be created by ensuring that classrooms are a positive learning

environment that promote inclusion and learning. Patrick, Kaplin and Ryan (2011) state that

“classroom environments play an important role in students' motivation, engagement, and

achievement at school.” There are various ways of creating positive classroom

environments, research has suggested that the two most influential frameworks for creating

these positive environments are achievement goal structured and classroom social climate

structured (Patrick, Kaplin & Ryan, 2011). However, it should be not that both have their

limitations but when implemented together can account for each framework’s weaknesses.

The achievement goal structured framework uses the ideas that student’s need to have

clear expectations, rules and routine to know what is expected of them, it is also the idea

that learning needs to be more than just memorisation but actually applying knowledge and

understanding. This means that tasks set by the teacher need to be meaningful and children

need to see the relevance to real life. Teachers must also be positive and encourage

students to keep meeting challenging goals set for them and strive to achieve their best.

This framework involves a range of complex steps and strategies; however, it caters more

for individuals rather than looking at the class as whole. The classroom social climate

framework corrects this weakness as it encourages collaborative learning and working

together. This also places a high importance on relationships between students, teachers

and peers and making classroom inclusive and supportive (Patrick, Kaplin & Ryan, 2011).

These two frameworks work together extremely well to create a safe, supportive and

inclusive classroom that fosters academic achievement, positive behaviour and is mindful of

mental health and wellbeing.

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Conclusion

From reviewing the recommendations that have been made it is clear that positive

relationships with students has the greatest impact on student wellbeing, mental health and

behaviour. This was also one the key learning points that was learnt from undertaking this

topic. It is also highly important when teaching to consider why a child may be displaying

poor, negative or disruptive behaviour and that it maybe related to something other than

simply a child being naughty for the sake of it. Another important aspect that was learnt is

that teachers must change their pedagogy and teaching to suit the children in their class and

that this will change from year to year. This highlights why it is incredibly important to

undertake professional development constantly to keep up to date with the latest in

teaching pedagogy as the generations change.

One thing that should be taught more in this topic is about specific disabilities and some

specific signs that would help teachers to possibly recognise disabilities. However, making

sure that teachers didn’t diagnose students, but this would enable teachers to be more

informed about classroom behaviour. It would also enable teachers to give the student the

most effective support or receive the best help, if needed.

For future professional development it would be highly beneficial to build my confidence

and knowledge around special education so that I am able to be the best teacher that I can

be and provide the best support and learning environment to students.

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Bhugra, D., Till, A., & Sartorius, N. (2013). What is mental health? International Journal of
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