Research
Education Research and Perspectives, Vol.38, No.1
The Problems Public Schools Face: High School Misbehaviour in 1990 and 2002
Reva M. Fish
State University of New York College at Buffalo
Kristin V. Finn
Canisius College
Jeremy D. Finn
The University at Buffalo - SUNY Misbehaviour in high school impacts learning and instruction in the classroom as well as the educational climate of the institution. In this report, changes in administrators’, teachers’, and students’ reports of misbehaviour between 1990 and 2002 were examined using two national US databases. There was little change in administrators’ perspectives on the severity of misbehaviours, with some reported increase in verbal abuse of teachers and decrease in alcohol use. School urbanicity was not related to administrator reports of misbehaviour. Students reported less fighting and skipping class in 2002, but an increase in disruptions by other students and drug availability was found.
Introduction
Misbehaviour in high school impacts instruction in the classroom and the educational climate of the building. This study compared the extent of misbehaviour among tenth grade public high school students in 1990 and 2002, using two national databases, the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS88) and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS2002). Several perspectives on student misbehaviour were explored: school administrator reports of building-wide student misbehaviour; teacher reports of student misbehaviour in the classroom; and student reports of their own misbehaviour and the misbehaviour of other students.
Address for correspondence: Dr. Kristin V. Finn, Associate Professor, Department of Adolescence Education, Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14208. Email: finnk@canisius.edu. 59
Reva Fish, Kristin Finn and Jeremy Finn
Significant events may have impacted student conduct, directly or indirectly, during this 12-year time frame. National data show
The Problems Public Schools Face: High School Misbehaviour in 1990 and 2002
Reva M. Fish
State University of New York College at Buffalo
Kristin V. Finn
Canisius College
Jeremy D. Finn
The University at Buffalo - SUNY Misbehaviour in high school impacts learning and instruction in the classroom as well as the educational climate of the institution. In this report, changes in administrators’, teachers’, and students’ reports of misbehaviour between 1990 and 2002 were examined using two national US databases. There was little change in administrators’ perspectives on the severity of misbehaviours, with some reported increase in verbal abuse of teachers and decrease in alcohol use. School urbanicity was not related to administrator reports of misbehaviour. Students reported less fighting and skipping class in 2002, but an increase in disruptions by other students and drug availability was found.
Introduction
Misbehaviour in high school impacts instruction in the classroom and the educational climate of the building. This study compared the extent of misbehaviour among tenth grade public high school students in 1990 and 2002, using two national databases, the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS88) and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS2002). Several perspectives on student misbehaviour were explored: school administrator reports of building-wide student misbehaviour; teacher reports of student misbehaviour in the classroom; and student reports of their own misbehaviour and the misbehaviour of other students.
Address for correspondence: Dr. Kristin V. Finn, Associate Professor, Department of Adolescence Education, Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14208. Email: finnk@canisius.edu. 59
Reva Fish, Kristin Finn and Jeremy Finn
Significant events may have impacted student conduct, directly or indirectly, during this 12-year time frame. National data show