Student Misbehaviors, University Instructors’ Mental Health, and Trauma Management: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The present study aimed to unpack student misbehaviors that instructors face inside the university campus. It also intended to unfold how student misbehaviors affect instructors’ mental health and how they overcome the trauma engendered by student misbehaviors. Adopting a phenomenological approach, we explored the phenomenon to answer the research questions by conducting semi-structured interviews with six teachers. Through a thematic analysis, we found that university instructors experienced various misbehaviors presented by students inside the university campus, and as a result, their mental health suffered. However, instructors tend to ignore their mental health and focus on academic activities to overcome the trauma. The study is pedagogically and methodically conducive to the existing literature.