Challenging behaviour in secondary schools: causal attributions of Black Caribbean and White British pupils, parents and teachers

This thesis explores pupils', parents' and teachers' causal attributions for challenging behaviour in secondary schools.

The literature review highlights how causal attributions have been elicited from parents, pupils and teachers about the challenging behaviour of pupils.

The findings from the review paper suggest that there has been little research on parents' and pupils' causal attributions and ethnic differences in causal attributions.

The rationale for exploring White British and Black Caribbean pupils', parents' and teachers' causal attributions is that Black Caribbean pupils have been found to be excluded from secondary school at a disproportionate rate when compared to White British pupils.

Focus group interviews were conducted to elicit the causal attributions of different groups. The analysis of transcripts from the focus group interviews suggest that although pupils, parents and teachers share some attributions for challenging pupil behaviour there are some differences.

Pupils attribute challenging pupil behaviour mainly to teachers, the influence of peers, a pupil's home life and attention seeking.

Parents attribute challenging pupil behaviour mainly to pupils having a lack of respect, the school curriculum and a pupil's home life. Teachers attribute challenging pupil misbehaviour mainly to changes in society, pupils having a lack of respect, a pupil's home life and the influence the media and technology.

The findings also suggest that there are some differences in the attributions Black Caribbean and White British parents' and pupils' have for challenging pupil behaviour in secondary schools.

Black Caribbean pupils tended to attribute challenging pupil behaviour to the influence of peers, teachers singling pupils out and home life when compared to White British pupils.

Black Caribbean parents tended to attribute challenging pupil behaviour to teachers, changes in society and the influence of media and technology when compared to White British parents.