BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OF LEARNERS IN A REGULAR

CLASSROOM

Authors:
Anna Gracia F. Cataluña
Kate Danielle A. Delgado
Marje B. Fernandez
Ma. Luna B. Fiscal
Joshua John C. Matias
Gem Antonette C. Sadiwa
 ABSTRACT

This survey research aimed to determine the different behavioral problems manifested

by the learners in a regular classroom. The study is based on the Curriculum Adaptation

Model of Hoover and Patton (1997) which gave emphasis on student behavior as the

basis for adjusting other curricular elements, namely: content, instructional strategies,

and instructional setting. Two hundred seventy eight (278) students were observed and

twenty five (25) teachers were interviewed in this study. A 15-item behavioral checklist

was used in this research study. Descriptive mean was used to provide interpretation to

the level of behaviors manifested by the students. Results showed that the most

common and disruptive behavior is “cannot remain seated” which was observed among

the two hundred sixty one (261) learners out of two hundred seventy eight (278).

Interview of teachers indicated that ten (10) out of twenty five (25) of the respondent

teachers utilized talking to the learner.

 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Problem behaviors exhibited by students with typical development and with special

needs in the classroom are among the problems encountered by teachers. Often, teachers

experience difficulties related with problem behaviors exhibited by children with special needs.

Problem behaviors prevent the individuals from learning or may affect the learning of

individuals around them. Problem behaviors also affect social relations and interactions among

the individuals and harm the individual, the peers, the adults and the family members who are

close to them (Chandler & Dahlquist, 2002; Erbas, Kircaali-Iftar & Tekin-Iftar, 2005; Yumus &

Metin, 2015).

Externalized behaviors are described as aggressive behaviors, stubbornness and social

problems, whereas internalized behaviors are categorized as mental and emotional conflicts,

intense anxiety, fearlessness and depression.

Behavior problems at school interlope with lessons and disturb other students. These

problems often overwhelm teachers, particularly novices, and some consider them the most

difficult aspect of a teacher’s work. It is because of the situations cited above that the

researchers decided to investigate and to explore the most common problem behaviors

manifested by the students inside the classroom and how their teachers deal with such problem

behaviors.
Statement of the Problem

This study catered the following questions:

1. What are the most common behavioral problems of students as identified by their

teachers in the classroom?

2. What is the level of manifestation of behavioral problems as identified by the teachers

in their classroom?

3. What are the most dominant behavioral problems manifested by learners inside the

classroom?

4. How do teachers address the behavioral problems as identified in their classes?

Significance of the Study

Learners with behavioral problem in school. When behavior problems of learners will be

addressed by their respective teachers, their learning will improve because of the absence of

distraction in their classes.

Teachers. The result of this research will benefit teachers in identifying how to address

specific behavioral problems in the classrooms.

Parents of learners with behavioral problem. Parents will be made aware of the different

problem behaviors manifested by their children in school and could participate in addressing

these behaviours.

School. Results of the study can serve as the basis for the school to develop policies

and protocols on how to address specific behavioral problems manifested.

Department of Education. Result of the study can be the basis for policy implementation

through various seminar-workshops and training programs for teachers.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Behavior problems among students

Both the lack of learning and behavioral problems can be difficult for practitioners to

provide effective teaching. On the one hand, the usual problems with EBD's academic students

can be very intensive and requires intensive remediation.

Challenges related to students' behavior and classification often apply to teachers and

schools Demonstrating that the character of the teacher can be meaningful to influence the

student's behavior and the level of class education is an effective way to improve the students'

behavioral problems.

In a recent survey of more than 200 class teachers, the class's behavior management is

reported as the most challenging (Reinke, Stormont, Herman, Puri, & Goel, 2011).

The goals are to work with teachers to build their strongest strengths and continue to do

things that are good for their class to help students succeed, limit negative relationships (Reinke

et al., 2011).

Theoretical Framework

This study is based on the Curriculum Adaptation Model for students with Learning and

Thinking Needs by Hoover and Patton (1997).

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study involved general education teachers of the basic education program

particularly those teaching in the grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 levels only. Although the teachers

were randomly selected per grade level, only four (4) teachers from grade levels one to five and
only five (5) teachers from grade six (6) level were allowed to participate in the study. A request

for an increase in the number of teacher participants was declined by the Principal of the school.

Likewise, in the gathering of the respondents answer in the research questions number

2 and 3, the Principal indicated that no follow up question will be entertained, hence, there

answers were considered short and brief in term of the qualitative research perspective.

Methodology

This is a Descriptive study that employed survey design. Questionnaire with 4 level Likert scale

was used in this study. Descriptive mean was used to measure the level of behavior

manifestation of the learners.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

This chapter presents and discusses the data gathered from the survey conducted

among basic education teachers in a public school system.

In Table 3, the twenty-five teachers were asked if the presence of the behaviors written

in the checklist exist in their classrooms.

Transferring of seats, roaming around the classroom and disturbing other classmates

during class hours are the most common problems that was identified by twenty-four teachers

(24 out of 25 teachers) to be manifested by the students.

Item number 2 (cannot remain seated), is the most common behavior among the students of all

the teachers surveyed. This is because of the twenty-five teachers surveyed and with the total

number of 278 learners under their care, 261 or 94% of all students manifested such behavior

(see Table 4).

What are the most common behavioral problems of students as identified by their

teachers in the classroom?

Table 3: Common behavioral problems identified by the teachers in the classroom

 Item No. Behavioral Problem: The student…. Frequency (N) Percentage
(No. of Teachers) (%)
1 Cannot finish his/her task in the given 22 88%
period of time
2 Cannot remain seated 23 92%
3 Transfer seat during class hours 24 96%
4 Roams around the classroom during 24 96%
class hours
5 Talks to his/her teacher in a bad manner 13 52%
6 Argues a lot 18 72%
7 Is shouting towards his/her classmates 19 76%
in the classroom
8 Disturbs other classmates during class 24 96%
hours
9 Easily gets in trouble 18 72%
10 Elicits quarrel with classmates inside or
outside the classroom 18 72%
11 Bullies his/her classmates inside the 8 32%
classroom
12 Grabs whatever thing he/she wants
from his/her classmates 18 72%
13 Easily changes his/her mood and gets
easily frustrated 13 52%
14 Exhibits tantrums 10 40%
15 Is disorganized with his or her own 18 72%
things

As shown in table 4, There are 261 learners out of 278 or 94% manifested the behavior cannot

remain seated which was ranked number one. Cannot finish his/her task in the given period of

time and Transfer seat during class hours was ranked number two because 91% or 254

students out of 278 manifested such behavior.

Table 4: The frequency of prevalence of behavioral problems as identified by the teachers in

their classroom
Rank Learners’ Behavior: The students… Frequency (N) Percentage (%)
(No. of students)
2 Cannot finish his/her task in the given 254 91%
period of time
1 Cannot remain seated 261 94%
2 Transfer seat during class hours 254 91%
4 Roams around the classroom during 244 88%
class hours
14 Talks to his/her teacher in a bad 109 39%
manner
10 Argues a lot 202 73%
7 Is shouting towards his/her classmates 218 78%
in the classroom
5 Disturbs other classmates during class 238 86%
hours
9 Easily gets in trouble 209 75%
8 Elicits quarrel with classmates inside or 210 75%
 outside the classroom
15 Bullies his/her classmates inside the 74 27%
classroom
11 Grabs whatever thing he/she wants 197 71%
from his/her classmates
13 Easily changes his/her mood and gets 157 56%
easily frustrated
12 Exhibits tantrums 176 63%
5 Is disorganized with his or her own 238 86%
things

Table 5 shows the level of manifestations of learners’ behavior inside their classes as

observed by the teachers. The frequency (N) shows the number of learners who exhibited a

certain misbehaviour as referred to the checklist. As observed, items 2 and 3 which is “students

cannot remain seated” and “Transfer seat during class hours” has the highest mean score of

2.70 and 2.59 respectively which fall to the category that the behavior is observed 3 to 4 days a

week.

2. What is the level of manifestation of the learners behavioral problems in the

classroom as identified by the teachers?

Table 5: The Level of Manifestation of learners’ Behavioral Problems as Identified by the

Teachers
Item Behavioral Problem: The Mean Description Interpretation
No. student…. The student manifest the
behavior….
1 Cannot finish his/her task 2 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
in the given period of time
2 Cannot remain seated 2.70 Often 3-4 days a week
3 Transfer seat during class 2.59 Often 3-4 days a week
hours
4 Roams around the 2.50 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
classroom during class
hours
5 Talks to his/her teacher in 1.49 Never does not manifest the
a bad manner behavior
6 Argues a lot 2.05 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
7 Is shouting towards 2.17 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
his/her classmates in the
classroom
8 Disturbs other classmates 2.35 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
during class hours
9 Easily gets in trouble 2.16 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
10 Elicits quarrel with 2.15 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
classmates inside or
outside the classroom
11 Bullies his/her classmates 1.30 Never does not manifest the
 inside the classroom behavior
12 Grabs whatever thing 2.03 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
he/she wants from his/her
classmates
13 Easily changes his/her 1.73 Never does not manifest the
mood and gets easily behavior
frustrated
14 Exhibits tantrums 1.34 Never does not manifest the
behavior
15 Is disorganized with his or 2.28 Sometimes 1-2 days a week
her own things

As shown in table 6, “student cannot remain seated” is also the most manifested behavior of the

student. Furthermore, both behaviors is often referred to as a sign that a child may have

learning disabilities. Hence, the result of the studies supports the DepEd data that the most

prevalent disorder among school children is learning disabilities (wwww.deped.gov.ph, 2017).

Table 6: Prevalence of behavioral problems as identified by the teachers in their classroom

Rank Learners’ Behavior: The students… Frequency (N) Percentage (%)

1 Cannot remain seated 261 94%

2 Cannot finish his/her task in the given 254 91%
period of time
2 Transfer seat during class hours 254 91%
4 Roams around the classroom during class 244 88%
hours
5 Disturbs other classmates during class 238 86%
hours
5 Is disorganized with his or her own things 238 86%
7 Is shouting towards his/her classmates in
the classroom 218 78%
8 Elicits quarrel with classmates inside or 210 76%
outside the classroom
9 Easily gets in trouble 209 75%
10 Argues a lot 202 73%

Table 7 shows ten out of twenty-five teachers (40%) indicated that the very first thing

they do is to talk to the learner and ask why he is/she is misbehaving in class. Twenty percent

provided activities to the learners to keep them busy. Three teachers indicated that they

separate the student from their classmates and another three teachers said that they observed

the learners first. Two teachers indicated that they ignored the behavior of the learners while
one teacher said that she visits the parents at home and the other teacher opted to punish to

the learner.

5. How do teachers address the behavioral problems as identified in their

classes?

Table 7: How the teachers addressed the behavior of learners in their classes
How the teachers addressed the Frequency (N) Percentage (%)
behavior problem in class (No. of Teachers)
Talk to the student 10 40%
Provide activities 5 20%
Separate students from his/her 3 12%
classmates
Observe the Students 3 12%
Accept the behavior and ignore the 2 8%
child
Talk with the parents/home visitation 1 4%
Punish the child 1 4%
Total 25 100%

Major Findings

1. Cannot remain seated was rated as 94% as the most common misbehavior .

2. Bullying in class, least common identified misbehavior; ranked 27%.

3. Most common strategy used: Talk to the learners individually (10 out of twenty-five

teachers)

4. None of the teachers identified the other elements of the curriculum (content, teaching

strategies, instructional setting) as their primary area they would consider when addressing

learners’ misbehavior.

Conclusions

Based on the findings of the study, the researchers arrived at the following

conclusions:

1. Cannot remain seated is the most dominant misbehavior manifested.

 2. Talk to the learners individually.

3. Other elements of the curriculum adaptation model such as content, teaching

strategies, class instruction and student behaviors were not considered in addressing

the misbehaviors of the learners.

4. Least misbehavior manifested is bullying.

Recommendations

Based from the findings the following recommendations are advanced:

1. Engage the learners in heavy work activities.

2. Practice talking to the learners.

3. Give simple breaks like exercises and movements to the learners.

The four elements of the curriculum adaption model must be present in their classroom.

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