How Teachers can Meet the Challenges of Sizable Classes and Student Disruptive Behavior

Abstract

The challenges of large classes and student classroom disruptive behavior have been a fact of life the world over. What has triggered examining both issues is that in the Tunisian context, little has seriously and wisely been devoted to them on the part of the parties concerned, namely inspectors, teacher trainers, administrators, and the relevant ministries (i.e., the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research) with the object of dealing with them successfully. Relying on the author’s analytical and critical reflections, as well as his personal experience as an instructor, and on that of some fellows, this paper aims at discussing these challenges and attempts to suggest drastic measures that could help teachers meet them. As concerns the former issue, the paper will explore the concept of a large class, the reasons behind its prevalence, the ensuing difficulties it poses to teachers, and how it could be turned into a blessing in disguise. Regarding students’ disruptive conduct, the paper will look at the underlying causes of the frequency of the phenomenon and put forward a number of effective courses of action that could be taken to surmount it. On the other hand, this paper is meant to serve as an incentive for the aforementioned parties to attach paramount importance to sizable classes and student classroom misconduct, and have every intention of helping teachers manage both predicaments, and it may equally be utilized as a guide to assist them in achieving the same aim.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n2p107