Two-thirds of teachers in state schools in England believe that student behavior negatively impacts learning in their classrooms regularly or all the time, according to a recent poll conducted by the National Education Union. Only 8% of teachers reported that behavior rarely or never affects lessons, contrasting with 31% of private school teachers.
Among state school educators, 40% stated that behavior often or regularly impacts lessons, while 26% indicated it happens constantly. These figures are in line with last year’s data, with 67% reporting negative behavior impacts, significantly higher than the percentages in 2022 and 2020.
Primary schools and special education settings experienced more disruption, with 70% of primary school teachers and 69% of special education teachers acknowledging behavior impacts on learning. Teachers in high deprivation areas were more likely to report negative effects on lessons due to student behavior.
Factors contributing to challenging behavior included inadequate resources, staffing issues, unmet needs of special education students, and the influence of social media. Some teachers highlighted the lack of support for managing complex behaviors and the impact of concerning online attitudes, particularly misogyny.
A separate NEU survey revealed that extreme online content and personalities are inciting racist, misogynistic, and hateful behaviors among students. Teachers also identified a rigid curriculum as a disruptor in classrooms, with one mentioning an overloaded curriculum creating pressure on students.
While 43% of teachers feel supported by their school’s behavior policies, 34% still feel unsupported. The NEU emphasized the impact of resourcing, class sizes, and pupil-to-adult ratios on behavior outcomes, noting the differences between state and private schools in terms of average class sizes.
Daniel Kebede, the NEU’s general secretary, stressed the importance of effective behavior management policies in schools to address teachers’ concerns about challenging behavior hindering learning. The NEU conducted an online survey of 10,715 teacher members and 3,274 support staff members between February 5 and 16.
