Teachers’ reports of student misbehavior in physical education

Classroom management, and, more specifically, the management of student behavior, is an essential skill for and central concern of physical education teachers. Surprisingly little information is known, however, about the specific nature of student behaviors that might negatively affect the class environment. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ reports of student behaviors that may create management issues in physical education classes. Over 300 teachers representing a range of grade levels and school contexts completed a survey related to the frequency of potentially negative student behaviors. Many types of misbehaviors were reported, but the most common were mild. Teachers’ reports varied by sex, years of teaching experience, and school context.