Teachers’ perspectives on unwanted student behaviors before, during, and after the pandemic: A classroom management evaluation

Abstract

This study examines primary school teachers’ perspectives on undesirable student behaviors across three phases: before, during, and after the pandemic, with a focus on classroom management. Although challenges in student behavior are longstanding, the pandemic introduced unprecedented disruptions, yet research has not fully captured educators’ experiences across this timeline. Addressing this gap, the study employed a phenomenological design within qualitative methodology to explore these evolving classroom dynamics. Data were gathered from interviews with 18 primary school teachers and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that during distance education, issues such as unfamiliarity with digital systems, technological limitations, low motivation, communication difficulties, and limited family engagement hindered effective classroom management. Pre-existing problems related to cognition, motivation, communication, and discipline intensified during this period. Upon returning to in-person instruction, teachers observed that the drawbacks of remote education outweighed its benefits. Concerns most frequently cited included diminished student concentration, reduced engagement, weakened interpersonal interactions, learning disparities, assessment challenges, and excessive dependence on technology. Teachers also reported a noticeable decline in attention span and social skills. Based on these insights, participants offered recommendations for education stakeholders to better support classroom management post-pandemic.

Keywords: Attention; classroom management; communication; motivation; student behavior