‘Interpretative phenomenological analysis and ecological theory: a combined approach to understanding disruptive student behaviour’

Behaviour management in schools is still a topic of significant discourse, from the classroom to the highest levels of Government. Research has suggested that some of the dominant theories of behaviourism which underpin current policy may limit our understanding of the causes of disruptive behaviour and, in doing so, may also fail to prevent further classroom disruption. This study aims to offer an alternative and accessible theoretical approach to behaviour management in response to an acute behavioural event. Built upon an existing interest within the research area in my current role, and extending the forefront of the discipline, my research asks, ‘How can interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and ecological theory enable me to understand a student’s disruptive behaviour?’ Through the use of semi-structured interviews, I explore the microsystem of both a student’s and a teacher’s school, home and social lives. The use of IPA as a vehicle to understand how the participants experienced the event enabled me to enter the hermeneutic circle and gain a ‘deep level’ of idiographic insight. Ecological theory is used as an underpinning feature of the analysis which, linked with phenomenology, not only suggests a mesosystemic ‘spill’ but also indicates that the disruptive behaviour may be the result of the trauma of domestic violence. The results of the analysis also suggest that the student has reached an end state because of the challenge to his ‘just world’; this in turn creates a state of ruminative brooding which may lead to perseverative action. Further, the results also suggest that these findings may not have been possible using current approaches. The overarching implication of this study is that there needs to be a shift in ‘thinking otherwise’ with regard to current approaches to behaviour management to fully account for person/environment interrelatedness.