School Administrators and Teachers Identification Mechanism of Students with Behavioral Problems in Secondary Schools: South West Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate school administrators and teachers identification mechanism of students with behavioral problems in secondary schools. The research method was descriptive survey method and quantitative research design was used. The researcher used both primary and secondary data as a source. The primary data was gathered through questionnaire while the secondary sources were from written documents. Study populations were school administers (school principals, vice school principals and unit leaders) and teachers of secondary school of south west Ethiopia. The sampling technique used to draw sample from study population was multi stage random sampling technique. First stage 5 zones in south western Ethiopia were selected. On the second stage, from each zones 3 woredas/twon and one secondary school in each woredas were selected. The schools administers of selected schools were selected by purposive sampling and teachers were selected by random sampling techniques. All school administers of selected secondary schools 45 schools administers (school principals, vice school principals and unit leaders) selected purposively and 420 teachers selected by simple random sampling techniques. The instruments of data collection were Likert scale closed-ended self- administered questionnaire for teachers and school administers.To check the reliability of instrument pilot testing was conducted on 30 individuals. Cronbach alpha calculated result showed that reliability coefficient was 0.83. Validation of the instruments was done by using experts' review and discussion. Based on experts comments irrelevant items were discarded and some ambiguous items were modified. The current study was used quantitative methods of data analysis. The analysis of data was done using percentage, mean and standard division while analysis of qualitative data was done by thematic analysis methods. The result of the study indicated both teachers and school administers were not used standardized tools to identify student’s behavioral problem. The mean scores of teachers (M= 3.40 with Sd 1.24) and school administers (M= 4.10 with Sd=1.01) agreed that most of the time they identify students behavioral problems by office discipline and/or classroom minor behavioral records and attendance the methods. In addition, both teachers and school administers reported that they identified students behavioral problems based on information get from peers, other staff teachers and parents. Both teachers and school administers perceived that internalized behavioral problems such  initiation of aggressive behaviors, harassments, lack of empathy and externalized behavioral problems external behavioral problems such as frequent absences from school or poor performance in school, exhibits persistent patterns of stealing and lying. From these results, it was recommended that to reduce student’s behavioral problems the researcher recommended that the school principals, teachers and other stakeholders should set some sorts of rules and regulations specific to the school with the active involvement of the students, in addition to the rules and the regulations of the country.