Student Misbehaviour and Teacher Coercion. A Comparative Study of Contextual Factors in Primary and Secondary Education Teachers

Abstract

This study analyses the relation between student misbehaviour and teacher coercion from a teacher perspective by taking further contextual variables into account. Our participants were 480 male/female secondary education and 351 primary education teachers from the Spanish Autonomous Community of Aragón (Spain). This study forms part of the 2017 Coexistence Study in Aragón Education Centres. According to the theoretical framework and the SEM (structural equation modeling), the results revealed a close relationship between student misbehaviour and teacher coercion, although other contextual variables also appeared in the regression equation: in coexistence rules and in teacher competence. We ultimately found a certain degree of difference between the primary and secondary education levels. On the secondary school level, teacher conflicts were associated with student misbehaviour, while coexistence rules and participative and inclusive activities predicted teacher coercion. Conversely, on the primary school level, participative and inclusive activities predict a lower frequency of student misbehaviour, while teacher competence predicts a lower frequency of teacher coercion.