A Phenomenological Study of University Faculty Experiences with Disruptive Undergraduate Students in a Face-to-Face Classroom or Laboratory Setting
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Behavioral review teams on university campuses have become the standard since the shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. An institutional assumption is that faculty members will make referrals to these specialized teams when encountering disruptive students within their classrooms. Unknown is what actions faculty members actually take when faced with disruptive students in the classroom. This phenomenological study captures the experiences of faculty members with disruptive undergraduate students in face-to-face university classroom or laboratories.\nAll of the participants in the study described experiences with disruptive undergraduate students. Three female and three male faculty members, split evenly between tenured/tenure track and non-tenure track, participated in this study. The participants represented three different universities in central and west Michigan.\nDisruptive student behavior does not automatically result in referral to behavioral review teams. Using the dual lenses of attribution theory and symbolic interaction theory themes emerged that describe and interpret the lived experiences of the faculty members. These emergent themes involved pervasiveness of disruptive behavior, feeling of powerlessness and fatalistic thinking from the faculty, collegial support, classroom influences, emotional costs, and perceptions of disruptions.\nDisruptive student behavior is a constant issue in postsecondary settings that disrupts the educational environment resulting in a variety of responses by faculty. Additional research in this area needs to continue to identify dynamics surrounding disruptive behavior and ways to prevent it from snowballing. A greater understanding of faculty experiences aids departments and institutions, giving faculty members a voice and an opportunity to be empowered in their own classrooms.
Author: Anne Marie Gillespie
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W29791213