Beginning secondary school teachers' perceptions of pupil misbehaviour in Spain

This study used a questionnaire to identify the perceptions of pupil misbehaviour held by a sample of 176 secondary school student teachers attending a one-year initial teacher training course in Spain. The main factor accounting for secondary school pupils' misbehaviour in lessons was reported to be 'parents who do not instil pro-school values in their children'. The most frequently reported form of misbehaviour in a typical secondary school lesson was reported to be 'talking out of turn'. The most effective disciplinary strategy reported was 'have a conversation with the pupil after the lesson'. The findings are broadly in line with similar research conducted in the UK, although there are some notable differences. In addition, over a quarter of the sample reported being 'a bit confident' or 'not at all confident' in 'keeping pupils engaged', and this figure rose to over a half of the sample in 'dealing swiftly with misbehaviour'.