Effective classroom management strategies can help teachers with an important issue that may hinder the learning and teaching process, which is students’ disruptive behaviour. According to Deering (2011), disruptive behaviour is defined as any behaviour that is disrespectful, annoying or distracting, wastes class time, or generates negative attitude towards the course or instructor. Rose and Gallup, stated that disruption is seen as the most common request for assistance from teachers that is related to behaviour and classroom management. Disruptive behaviour directly puts teachers, children, and parents in embarrassing situations. In the teaching and learning environment teachers have to ensure that the learners have their fundamental rights to have a safe and respectful environment for learning.

Therefore, it is imperative for educators to explore sources, put their heads down, and think of effective strategies that will reduce and help with the coping of such behaviour in order to protect their students’ future. Kauffman, argued that a child’s behaviour is shaped by the social context of the environment during the development process. Kauffman, Patterson, Reid and Dishion, also argued that many behaviour problems begin or are made worse through behavioural processes such as modeling, reinforcement, extinction, and punishment. The challenge for educators therefore, is to make changes to the learning environment in order to decrease disruptive behaviour. If these changes are effective, it will result in an increase in academic performance as well as allow students and faculty to enjoy a respectful, inviting, healthy, and productive learning environment.

Hunger for such a learning environment has taken over the education sector in Jamaica and other countries to search for ways to reduce the occurrences of disruptive behaviour in the classrooms. These searches have found the use of token economy to be a highly effective strategy in decreasing disruptive behaviour. Being aware that disruptive behaviour poses a threat to the teaching and learning environment, our concern is steeped in the reality that something needs to be done to help in reducing disruptive behaviour within the classroom.

This study is concerned about the negative effects it has on both teachers and students whether it be physical, mental or emotional. It is of grave concern as it poses a deep and severely abiding setback in the education system and if something is not done to reduce or eliminate such a problematic scourge, student academic outcomes will continue to suffer and deteriorate progressively and the academic level will experience a great decrease.

International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, is a multidisciplinary quarterly designed to be the premier international forum and authority for the discussion of all aspects of emergency mental health.

Authors can submit their manuscript as an email attachment to: mentalhealth@emedscholar.com

Regards,

Journal Coordinator

International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience