‘I don’t know how to properly deal with challenging and complex behaviour’: initial teacher education for pre-service teachers on behaviour management

Abstract

The education sector in Australia is in crisis, struggling to retain teachers in the profession, with dealing with challenging and complex behaviour a major concern for new teachers. Previous research has shown that Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) can assist teachers in managing complex and challenging behaviours in the classroom, however, FBA is not always employed or conducted effectively. This research employed a mixed methods approach through a pre- and post- survey to measure pre-service teachers’ perceived self-efficacy in managing complex behaviours. This was after participating in a third-year undergraduate course focusing on curriculum regarding functional behaviour and positive behaviour support. This new course was designed to offer multiple means of engagement and opportunity to develop self-efficacy in the course curriculum, including case studies, podcasts, activities, critical reflections, and role-plays, as a result of the recommendations from the recent Teacher Education Expert Panel Report (TEEP). Findings indicated that participants perceived self-efficacy were higher for managing complex and challenging behaviours in the classroom after undertaking this course. Implications for future practice are discussed.