What was the goal?
The goal of the project was to identify good practices for managing behavioral problems in schools and to examine how easily or difficultly disciplinary measures should be imposed beyond what is prescribed by legislation. The research addressed several specific questions: how frequently behavioral problems occur during teaching hours, what the main contributing factors are, to what degree teachers show tolerance toward problematic behaviors, what strategies teachers use to address such behaviors, how well existing educational legislation supports teachers, and what practices are considered effective for preventing and managing behavioral issues in school.
How did the project proceed?
The project was carried out through a questionnaire that was sent to all secondary education directorates across Greece. A total of 264 teachers responded, corresponding to approximately 0.6% of teachers working in lower secondary schools (Gymnasia) throughout the country.
What were the results?
The survey revealed that behavioral problems occur sometimes during the school year and can be quite frequent. The main contributing factors were identified as family environment, social surroundings, students’ psychological condition, and in-school factors, in that order. Teachers reported that they typically warn students before imposing any penalty and try to resolve issues through more conciliatory approaches, resorting to penalties only occasionally during the school year. The existing educational legislation was found to be insufficient in supporting teachers, with the majority wanting it to change. The project categorized effective practices into two groups. Direct practices, which teachers can implement themselves, include appropriate teacher behavior, fostering interpersonal relationships in the classroom, thoughtful lesson planning and motivation strategies, establishing behavioral rules and teaching objectives, and strengthening family-school relations. Indirect practices, which require state intervention, include establishing an independent body such as a “Greek Organization for Education Support,” increasing student committee initiatives, implementing evaluation for both students and teachers, introducing out-of-classroom lessons and counseling, mandatory training seminars, creating local educational bodies to facilitate family-school cooperation, student care services, a digital teacher portfolio, increased funding, updated textbooks, elective courses, and longer break times. The project concluded that penalties are just one of the tools available to teachers and not necessarily the most effective one, and it aimed to contribute to the search for pedagogical solutions that respond to the real needs of the school community.