{"id":{"repo_id":"the-open-u","oai_identifier":"oai:oro.open.ac.uk:56891"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/the-open-u/oai:oro.open.ac.uk:56891","repository":{"repo_id":"the-open-u","name":"The Open University","base_url":"https://oro.open.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"A study of disruptive behaviour in secondary schools, with special reference to the effectiveness of behaviour modification and withdrawal units","abstract":"This thesis is the result of four years' part-time study by a practising teacher. It represents an attempt to identify ways of dealing successfully with disruptive secondary school pupils.
A review of related literature, and some evidence adduced from previous research, provided the basis for a questionnaire. This was then used in six Essex comprehensive schools to ascertain teachers' opinions on:
a) determinants of disruptive behaviour;
b) effectiveness of methods used to deal with such behaviour.
Respondents were identified according to sex, school and experience.
Sub-sections of the questionnaire were cross tabulated and submitted to X2 tests of significance which revealed a trend suggesting that female teachers differ from male teachers in some of their opinions related to disruptive behaviour in schools. The survey also indicated that it is the upper-age range which causes most disturbance.
The two methods found to be currently held to be most effective were withdrawal units and behaviour modification. The former was investigated via a case study approach which compared two types of administration policy, and the effect of an on-site withdrawal unit on two disruptive pupils. Behaviour modification was evaluated experimentally to examine whether
a) it is practicable for class teachers
b) if the technique is effective with upper-secondary pupils.
Experimental and observational investigation revealed that in respect of this study behaviour modification was:
a) difficult for the teacher to apply in the normal classroom situation following accepted research criteria, although it was found to be more practicable in less formal circumstances within an on-site withdrawal unit.
b) a qualified success with this age group in that the improvements in behaviour as a result of this approach were found to be unenduring.
It was concluded that, in respect of upper-secondary school disruptive pupils, rather than attempt to deal with the child in the normal classroom, it is preferable to withdraw the problem pupil to an on-site unit, where the application of procedures to deal with disruption can be more successfully applied to the benefit of both the child and' the school. The thesis concludes with a suggested model for dealing with seriously disruptive pupils.","abstract_html":"This thesis is the result of four years' part-time study by a practising teacher. It represents an attempt to identify ways of dealing successfully with disruptive secondary school pupils.<br></br><br></br>A review of related literature, and some evidence adduced from previous research, provided the basis for a questionnaire. This was then used in six Essex comprehensive schools to ascertain teachers' opinions on:<br></br><br></br>a) determinants of disruptive behaviour;<br></br><br></br>b) effectiveness of methods used to deal with such behaviour. <br></br><br></br>Respondents were identified according to sex, school and experience.<br></br><br></br>Sub-sections of the questionnaire were cross tabulated and submitted to X<sup>2</sup> tests of significance which revealed a trend suggesting that female teachers differ from male teachers in some of their opinions related to disruptive behaviour in schools. The survey also indicated that it is the upper-age range which causes most disturbance.<br></br><br></br>The two methods found to be currently held to be most effective were withdrawal units and behaviour modification. The former was investigated via a case study approach which compared two types of administration policy, and the effect of an on-site withdrawal unit on two disruptive pupils. Behaviour modification was evaluated experimentally to examine whether<br></br><br></br>a) it is practicable for class teachers<br></br><br></br>b) if the technique is effective with upper-secondary pupils.<br></br><br></br>Experimental and observational investigation revealed that in respect of this study behaviour modification was:<br></br><br></br>a) difficult for the teacher to apply in the normal classroom situation following accepted research criteria, although it was found to be more practicable in less formal circumstances within an on-site withdrawal unit.<br></br><br></br>b) a qualified success with this age group in that the improvements in behaviour as a result of this approach were found to be unenduring.<br></br><br></br>It was concluded that, in respect of upper-secondary school disruptive pupils, rather than attempt to deal with the child in the normal classroom, it is preferable to withdraw the problem pupil to an on-site unit, where the application of procedures to deal with disruption can be more successfully applied to the benefit of both the child and' the school. The thesis concludes with a suggested model for dealing with seriously disruptive pupils.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Whitcomb, Alan Trevor"],"institution":"The Open University","degree_name":"phd","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1983,"date_issued":"1983","date_published":"1983","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:02:56Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Whitcomb, Alan Trevor"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["1983"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1983"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["The Open University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["phd"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/1/347462.pdf","https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/8/347462_2.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis is the result of four years' part-time study by a practising teacher. It represents an attempt to identify ways of dealing successfully with disruptive secondary school pupils.
A review of related literature, and some evidence adduced from previous research, provided the basis for a questionnaire. This was then used in six Essex comprehensive schools to ascertain teachers' opinions on:
a) determinants of disruptive behaviour;
b) effectiveness of methods used to deal with such behaviour.
Respondents were identified according to sex, school and experience.
Sub-sections of the questionnaire were cross tabulated and submitted to X2 tests of significance which revealed a trend suggesting that female teachers differ from male teachers in some of their opinions related to disruptive behaviour in schools. The survey also indicated that it is the upper-age range which causes most disturbance.
The two methods found to be currently held to be most effective were withdrawal units and behaviour modification. The former was investigated via a case study approach which compared two types of administration policy, and the effect of an on-site withdrawal unit on two disruptive pupils. Behaviour modification was evaluated experimentally to examine whether
a) it is practicable for class teachers
b) if the technique is effective with upper-secondary pupils.
Experimental and observational investigation revealed that in respect of this study behaviour modification was:
a) difficult for the teacher to apply in the normal classroom situation following accepted research criteria, although it was found to be more practicable in less formal circumstances within an on-site withdrawal unit.
b) a qualified success with this age group in that the improvements in behaviour as a result of this approach were found to be unenduring.
It was concluded that, in respect of upper-secondary school disruptive pupils, rather than attempt to deal with the child in the normal classroom, it is preferable to withdraw the problem pupil to an on-site unit, where the application of procedures to deal with disruption can be more successfully applied to the benefit of both the child and' the school. The thesis concludes with a suggested model for dealing with seriously disruptive pupils."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A study of disruptive behaviour in secondary schools, with special reference to the effectiveness of behaviour modification and withdrawal units"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Whitcomb, Alan Trevor"],"dc:date":["1983"],"dc:date.issued":["1983"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis is the result of four years' part-time study by a practising teacher. It represents an attempt to identify ways of dealing successfully with disruptive secondary school pupils.
A review of related literature, and some evidence adduced from previous research, provided the basis for a questionnaire. This was then used in six Essex comprehensive schools to ascertain teachers' opinions on:
a) determinants of disruptive behaviour;
b) effectiveness of methods used to deal with such behaviour.
Respondents were identified according to sex, school and experience.
Sub-sections of the questionnaire were cross tabulated and submitted to X2 tests of significance which revealed a trend suggesting that female teachers differ from male teachers in some of their opinions related to disruptive behaviour in schools. The survey also indicated that it is the upper-age range which causes most disturbance.
The two methods found to be currently held to be most effective were withdrawal units and behaviour modification. The former was investigated via a case study approach which compared two types of administration policy, and the effect of an on-site withdrawal unit on two disruptive pupils. Behaviour modification was evaluated experimentally to examine whether
a) it is practicable for class teachers
b) if the technique is effective with upper-secondary pupils.
Experimental and observational investigation revealed that in respect of this study behaviour modification was:
a) difficult for the teacher to apply in the normal classroom situation following accepted research criteria, although it was found to be more practicable in less formal circumstances within an on-site withdrawal unit.
b) a qualified success with this age group in that the improvements in behaviour as a result of this approach were found to be unenduring.
It was concluded that, in respect of upper-secondary school disruptive pupils, rather than attempt to deal with the child in the normal classroom, it is preferable to withdraw the problem pupil to an on-site unit, where the application of procedures to deal with disruption can be more successfully applied to the benefit of both the child and' the school. The thesis concludes with a suggested model for dealing with seriously disruptive pupils."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/1/347462.pdf","https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/8/347462_2.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher.institution":["The Open University"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://oro.open.ac.uk/56891/"],"dc:title":["A study of disruptive behaviour in secondary schools, with special reference to the effectiveness of behaviour modification and withdrawal units"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["phd"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:02:56Z"}