A Multilevel Analysis of Student Perceptions of Classroom Disturbances in the Lessons of the Class Teacher and One Subject Teacher

The aim of the present study was to investigate students' perceptions of aggressive and non aggressive disturbances in the lessons of the class teacher and a subject teacher. A total of 1290 students from 83 primary school classes participated. The intraclass correlation coefficients of the student ratings were high enough in order to speak of a shared perception. Results of a multilevel confirmatory factor analysis showed that the students differentiated four dimensions of classroom disturbances: non-aggressive student behavior, aggressive student behavior, aggressive teacher behavior, and disturbances of the setting. Students reported more disturbances, a less pronounced relationship, challenges in classroom management and less student aggression in the lessons of the subject teachers than in the lessons of the class teachers. Overall, the results indicate good construct validity.