Behavioral problems of students in Ethiopian HEIs

1. Introduction Disruptive behavior is defined as repeated, continuous, and/or multiple student behaviors that hamper the ability of instructors to teach and students to learn. Common examples of disruptive behaviors in HEIs include, but are not limited to: Eating in class Monopolizing classroom discussions Failing to respect the rights of other students to express their viewpoints Talking when the instructor or others are speaking Constant questions or interruptions which interfere with the instructor's presentation Overt inattentiveness (e.g., sleeping or reading the paper in class) Creating excessive noise with papers, book bags, etc. Entering class late or leaving early Use of pagers or cell phones in the classroom Inordinate or inappropriate demands for time and attention Poor personal hygiene (e.g., noticeably offensive body odor) More extreme examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to: Use of profanity or pejorative language Intoxication Verbal abuse (e.g., taunting, badgering, intimidation) Harassment (e.g., use of "fighting words," stalking) Threats to harm oneself or others Physical violence (e.g., shoving, grabbing, assault, use of weapons)

Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nationally, not only in the classroom but in society at large. These behaviors are not just instructors pet peeves; they have real costs including:

distracting other students and instructor in class reducing student participation lowering other students' and instructors motivation in or out of class affecting fairness in grading using instructors time unproductively feeling disrespected as a fellow learner or authority figure
1

2. Possible causes In order to limit or deal effectively with these behaviors, it is important to understand the factors that cause or facilitate them. The cause can be contingent on individual student situations and structural to the course. This distinction is important because it orients us towards the causes we can control. Contingent on individual student situations: Students can engage in problematic behaviors because of health problems, personal or family problems, adjustment or developmental issues (e.g., immaturity or self-esteem issues), or general academic difficulties. These factors are not controllable, but instructors who feel those are issues are at play can certainly refer students to the appropriate support services on campus: Health Services, Counseling and Psychological services, Academic Development and Office of the Dean of Student Affairs Cultural or generational issues can also play a role. The culture of the HEIs classroom is not homogenous, and expectations for classroom conduct can vary greatly, but they are all informed by the same basic academic values. Students from other cultures who dont share the same values might not understand implicit expectations for classroom behaviors. Furthermore, the new generation brings to college a whole new set of values, sometimes quite at odds with the values of previous generations, which can create some friction. In particular, some sociologists point out that some students seem to watch a lecture the same way they watch TV. This would explain why they think they can arrive a little late or take a break in the middle of lecture, or why they can have side conversations or otherwise multi-task none of these behaviors impairs the ability to get meaning out of a movie, and the screen barrier between the audience and the actors makes it so that the actors performance is not affected by the audiences behavior. Structural to the course: Some of the uncivil behaviors can be inadvertently facilitated by the instructors behavior or the course structure. The students incivilities across a range of courses can include the following points:

Professors disagree with students about what counts as uncivil behavior, apart from a few egregious situations. Moreover, there is significant disagreement among different professors, as there is among students.

Instructors age or teaching experiences are not a significant determinant of incivilities. Young instructors experience the same average level of incivilities as older/experienced instructors.

Two factors mainly predict students incivilities. I. The choice of motivators.: Instructors who use negative motivators (e.g., fear, guilt, embarrassment) experience more classroom incivilities than instructors who use positive motivators (e.g., encouragement, praise). II. The number of immediacy behaviors (verbal and non-verbal signs of warmth and friendliness). Instructors exhibiting few immediacy behaviors experience significantly more incivilities compared to instructors who exhibit several of those behaviors. In other words, if students perceive the instructor has disengaged from the course and from their learning experience, they disengage in turn, exhibiting the attendant problematic behaviors. Other factors correlate negatively with incivilities, including perceived worth of teaching, clarity and organization, and pacing. 3. Possible Strategies

Based on the above problematic behaviors of students in HEIs we can suggest the following possible strategies to reduce incivilities. These may be broad enough that each one can be used to generate several concrete strategies. A. Define expectations at the outset: Explicitly letting students know how we want them to behave in class avoids incivilities due to mismatched expectations.

Define our policies on the syllabus. Clearly articulating our policies and their rationale in a respectful tone can curb undesirable behaviors. Like providing some language for policies such as cell-phone and laptop usage.

Make good use of the first day of class. Use the first day to create the right climate for productive interaction. Highlight the policies on the syllabus and model the behaviors we would like to see.

Allow student participation in setting ground rules. Having students participate in setting the rules for classroom behavior and interaction might not be feasible for every class but it has the benefit of making the students more invested in the rules. Ask the students to reflect on classes with bad discussions or other students behaviors that have been distracting and not conducive to their own
3

learning. Use that list as a starting point for your ground rules. we, of course, retain final decision power. B. Decrease anonymity: Especially in large classes, students can sometimes engage in thoughtless behaviors because the atmosphere feels much depersonalized. We can try several techniques to build connections with students:

Learn and use names consistently. Learn a few more names every day, and let students know that we are trying to memorize their names in the first weeks.

Engage students one-on-one. Use the time right before and after class to make small talk with students. Ask about the weekend, or the homework, or common interests. Some professors schedule lunches with small groups of students throughout the semester to get to know them and to present themselves as more approachable.

Take advantage of office hours. The one-on-one nature of office hours greatly augments possibilities for interaction, even in larger classes. Some professors have a mandatory office hour during the first week, which they use to meet the students individually and to make themselves available for help when needed.

C. Seek feedback from students: Some student incivilities are due to perceived instructor incivilitiesinstructors own lateness or disorganization, rudeness or interruptions when students are speaking. Seek feedback to double-check student perceptions of you. We can use early course evaluations, or quick in-class anonymous feedback with one minute papers. We can also designate some students to be class representatives and meet with them periodically during the semester, when they can let us know of general student concerns. D. Encourage active learning: Meaningful engagement has obvious benefits for student learning and performance, but it can also bring some side benefits with respect to student behavior in the classroom. In fact, we point out that in classes that use active learning effectively, students

feel more responsible for coming to class, and coming prepared perceive they pay more attention in class feel more responsible for their own learning.

4.

Other Effective Ways of Dealing with Disruptive Students in HEIs

Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to ignorance. Most of the time students are not trying to be malicious and often are not aware that they are being disruptive. A simple request for them to return to the task at hand is all that is needed. More traditionally aged college students exhibit behaviors that were acceptable in high school or at least went uncorrected. They are often surprised that college teachers are bothered by these behaviors. Help explain that the college learning environment expects more adult like behavior. If at all possible deal with any significant issues of disruption or disagreement in private (your office with the door open, after class or in the hall way). Dealing with an issue in front of others can unwittingly, bring others into the discussion. You dont need others taking sides. Use I statements to address the concern. This way you are owning the problem and giving the student an easy opportunity to save face and get back on task. I statements avoid the issuance of consequences. I would appreciate it if you would not talk when I am talking Stay calm at all cost stay calmif necessary declare a cooling off period. Delay speaking with the student until you is calm. Put yourself in the students shoestry to see what their motivation is, what would cause them to be disruptive, or have this problem or issue. Listen carefullyask clarifying questions that help to define the issue. I want to make certain that I understand what you are saying is this what you mean? Think win-win. Ask the students how they would resolve the issuethis will give them some ownership. Also ask how they would handle the situation if they were the instructor. Make certain that your position is clearly defensible. Just because you say so is not always a good reason. Avoid the introduction of side issues. Keep bringing the student back to the issue at hand. Other issues can be dealt with at another time. Write down the issue/concern/problem. This can bring clarity to the issue and help focus you and the student on the issue. Write down the solution/agreement. Get a signature that the student agrees to the solution. Be as consistent as you can in how you handle each individual occurrence. This includes how you handle even small disruptions in class. Students really take note of inconsistencies in this area.

 Offer the student the option of taking the issue to the next level. Tell him/her who to talk to and where they can find them. If the rule or policy in question is a university rule or policy say so indicate you are not in a position to alter these. Keep notes on the conversation(s) that you have with the student. This will help to protect you and make it clear to the students that you want an accurate record of the interaction(s) you have with them.