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Parents' and pupils' causal attributions for difficult classroom behaviour.
Andy Miller1, Eamonn Ferguson, Eleanor Moore
1School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. am@psychology.nottingham.ac.uk
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|March 28, 2002
Summary
Parents attribute difficult classroom behavior to teacher fairness and external factors, differing from pupil and teacher views. Acknowledging these parent attributions is crucial for effective school policies.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Research on difficult pupil behavior attributions predominantly features teacher perspectives.
- Limited understanding exists regarding parental causal attributions for classroom misbehavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parents' causal attributions for difficult classroom behavior.
- To compare parental attributions with those of pupils and teachers.
- To identify the structural components of parental attributions.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was developed based on parent interviews.
- 144 parents (106 mothers, 38 fathers) from an inner-city primary school participated.
- Factor analysis was used to analyze attributional structures.
Main Results:
- Parental attributions were categorized into three factors: teacher fairness, pupil vulnerability (peer/family influences), and classroom demands.
- Parents perceived teacher fairness and pupil vulnerability as more significant causes of misbehavior than classroom demands.
- No significant differences in attributions were found based on parent gender or ethnicity.
Conclusions:
- Parental attributions for difficult behavior show both convergence and divergence with pupil and teacher perspectives.
- Failure to address these attributional differences may hinder the effectiveness of home-school initiatives.
- Acknowledging parental views is vital for successful policy implementation and reducing school-home tensions.