A recent survey conducted among state-school teachers in England revealed that 66% of them believe pupil behavior negatively affects learning in lessons either regularly or constantly. In comparison, only 8% of teachers in private schools reported rare or no impact. The National Education Union’s survey also indicated that 40% of state-school teachers noted behavior impacting lessons often or regularly, with 26% experiencing it all the time. These figures are consistent with the previous year but significantly higher than in 2022 and 2020.
Primary schools and specialist provisions in state schools faced more disruption, with 70% of primary school teachers and 69% in special schools or pupil referral units citing behavior impacts. Teachers in high deprivation settings were more likely to report negative impacts on learning due to student behavior.
Concerns were raised about the lack of resources, understaffing, unmet special educational needs, and the influence of social media on challenging behavior. Some teachers mentioned managing complex behaviors without adequate support, while others highlighted exposure to concerning online content affecting student attitudes and beliefs.
Another NEU survey highlighted how extreme online content and personalities trigger racist, misogynistic, and hateful behaviors among students. Teachers also blamed a rigid curriculum that doesn’t suit all students, with some feeling overloaded with expectations in a short time frame.
Despite some feeling supported by their school’s behavior policy (43%), a considerable portion (34%) still felt unsupported. The NEU emphasized the impact of resourcing, class size, and pupil-to-adult ratios on behavior, noting the differences between state and private schools in these aspects.
NEU’s general secretary, Daniel Kebede, stressed the need for reliable behavior management policies in schools to address teachers’ concerns about challenging behavior impacting learning outcomes. The survey was based on responses from 10,715 teacher members and 3,274 support staff members between February 5 and 16.