Bullying and Its’ Effects on Classroom Management, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The act of bullying in the classroom is a possible cause of a negative interpersonal atmosphere which consequently interferes with the styles of classroom management. Inappropriate behavior by students affects the work of the teachers to a significant degree. Teachers play a very crucial role towards the determination of school climate. This implies that the attitudes of the teachers are important determining factors to the dynamics of power (Larrivee, 2005, p.212). Research indicates that bullying is a common occurrence in most schools which consequently affects the way teachers conduct their managerial functions in the course of their duty.

Bullying cannot be considered as acceptable, normal or natural due to its consequences to the victim. A possibility of emotional or even a physical harm cannot be overruled and the possibility of the young bullies developing in to abusive adults also looms. The effects of the behavior is not restricted to the bullies and the victims only but also other people in the environment may be intimidated, upset as well as distracted from their activities. Significant hindrance is caused to successful learning of the students and teaching by teachers by bullying.

In all cases, it is impossible for bullying to take place in a vacuum and therefore there are some important factors that contribute to its prevalence. The manner in which a teacher manages the classroom and responds to the behavior of the student that may appear to be inappropriate plays a very important role in encouraging or discouraging the occurrence of bullying. Teachers have a role in reform aimed at promoting the learner centered classrooms. Teachers should also possess the right skills for establishing cultures that are capable to minimize the behavior problems in the students in the most proactive manner. This also facilitates the intervention in positive, effective as well as educative means to avoid the disruptive nature of the students (Andrew, A., 1998).

Research methodology

This section outlines the methods and procedures used by the researcher to achieve his research objectives the section informs the interested parties about the plan of analysis that was covered during the course of the study, the considerations as well as a clear expression of the research objectives and the hypothesis. Success of the study was a factor of the availability of satisfying data together with the objectives in addition to hypothesis in the determination of the effects of bullying on classroom management.

The objective of the research just as a recap is to identify the effects of bullying on classroom management, it is important to note here that this research was mainly based on the interviews even though other research methodologies were briefly discussed.

Primary research

Primary research refers to collection of statistics that is non existent. This was considered to be achieved through numerous forms: including the use of questionnaires, making telephone conversations, surveys, etc. As pertained to this project, the primary sources were likely to be the existing schools. The major merit with conducting primary research is that it was accurate. However, the disadvantage of primary research was that it was time consuming, as it involved dealing with people from various regions, the human sources may only become resourceful out of their own willingness.

Secondary research

Secondary research on the other hand is the collection of existing data, that is, in contrast to primary research. For example: research on experiments or specific subjects. The merit of secondary research is that it’s not time consuming however a disadvantage is that the information retrieved may not be relevant.

Choice of research philosophy

Another aspect that is of great significance in this research was the research strategy. It’s the research strategy that indicated which methods a researcher adapted to answer the research objectives or questions on the effects of bullying on classroom management.

Research validity and reliability

A debate on the results of the foregoing literatures concerning the effects of bullying on classroom management covers the discussion as pertains ‘research’, and in most cases referring to the way in which the data were composed”. This research as a result of its phenomenological nature, the entire questions bore a correlation to theoretical characteristics which were considered during the review of literature. The process thus could be precise in the process of data collection, analysis as well as sampling and therefore the issue of validity would improve significantly. In consideration of the issue of prevalence of a variety of validity, that have a significant influence on the extent of validity of the study in general (Andrew, A., 1998).

Ethical consideration

The participants were supplied with different questionnaires based on specific areas of the impacts of bullying on the management of classrooms. The approval or the disapproval of participation was based on its merits and demerits as determined after conducting the research. All the participants were given their respectively informed consent so that participation in the study is possible. They were informed prior to the research, the purposes, potential benefits associated with the research and risks that might be arise if a participant takes part in the research study. The researcher accounted for the ethical standards during the procedures of the study.

Limitations of the research

Limitations are usually present in every research and these limitations actually tarnish the results of the research. Certain limitations are also associated with this research. One of the biggest limitations of this research is lack of budget and lack of time. Besides that there are certain other limitations like the non-serious attitude of the respondents which might tamper the entire results of the research. The interviews that were conducted and the questionnaire were not fully utilized in this scenario because the respondents were not serious in their attitude when filling out the questionnaires or when they were giving the responses to the researcher.

The lack of time given by the respondents can also be another limitation of this research. If the respondents have lesser time than it is highly probable that they might not take the research properly and ultimately the final results of the research would be affected in this scenario. Finally, certain chunks or sources of secondary research can also be treated as a limitation of study. This results from the fact that these sources are not valid or they are not updated therefore the data that is attained from these sources might affect the entire results of the research. Therefore, the researcher should take utmost care about all these constraints and try to minimize it.

Link between Bullying and Classroom Management

Major Parenting Styles and Teaching Styles

Both bullies and their victims tend to portray their background; this has been highlighted by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalysis of the neonates. If a child grows up in a community or family characterized by passive parenting or even authoritarian parenting they end up becoming either bullies or even victims, those who come from passive parenting tend to display some kind of aggressive behaviors as they are haunted by their deprived childhood and tries to control it, they usually try to overcome their alter ego by being in power, which if not given an opportunity to do so will tend to bully their classmates. It is imperative to note that other form of bullying also exists as some adults also bully children while some children are also known to bully adults in various ways. In the school set up a teacher can bully students by using his or her position of power to manipulate, punish or even desperate a pupil beyond the prescribed disciplinary procedure.

Recent studies

Research by Larrivee (2005, p. 194) included a survey of 112 elementary school teachers showed that at least 42% stated that they have bullied students. In another qualitative study which used discourse and the now famous conversational analyses, teachers were asked about a possibility of teachers bullying teacher their students, at least two teachers admitted to have bullied their students. The most recent study conducted in north Ireland (Andrew, A., 1998). which was set to examine the vise of bullying at two main points in a secondary school, it was found out that almost 28% of students were bullied by their teachers and fellow students over the same time in another news report a teacher in North America was indicted for bullying a student when he went over board by canning a student thoroughly over a very minor offense that did not warrant a harsh punishment.

Boulton, M. (1997, p. 136)  provides the best ten “don’ts “ which should be applied to students discipline, from his ten suggestions, four  directly addresses teachers who bully students, he states that, teachers bully students when the  punish their students severely over simple mistakes in a way to revenge forma wrong doing that was committed sometimes back in remotely connected scenarios. Severe punishment of student by teachers is a professional malpractice; it is a vice that is unconscionable.

Conclusion

While there are many form of bullying, the most commonly known are teacher bullying student, student bullying students or senior bullying junior or even the latest recorded form which involves juniors bullying seniors, teaching by coercion is also a another form of bullying whereby a teacher issues stern warning while teaching, at time a teacher may even end up humiliating the students by making derogatory remarks about the students code of conduct, dress code, background or mistakes sarcastically. Adult bullying can therefore be linked to classroom management.

Recommendation for further research

Further research should be carried out to identify if there correlation occurs in between the times at which bullying occurs and reasons behind different forms of bullying occurring at the same time. The social structure should that encompasses informal relationships like friendship, attraction, support, isolation, and power relations that occur between groups should also be analyzed for possibility of correlations. Finally, monitoring, teaching, caring and intervention should also be measured in teachers so as to determine the missing link between professionalism and bullying.

References

Andrew, A., (1998). Teachers are targets of bullying by pupils: A study to investigate incidence. British Journal for Educational Psychology, 68, 255–268.

Larrivee, B., (2005). Authentic classroom management: Creating learning community & building reflective practice. Boston: Pearson.

Boulton, M., (1997). Teachers’ views on bullying: Definitions, attitudes & ability to cope. British Journal for Educational Psychology, 67, 223–233.