Role of teachers in behaviour modification of students

Background to the Study Behaviour is the activity of living organisms. Human behaviour is the entire gamut of what people do including thinking and feeling. Behaviour can be determined by applying the Dead Man’s test: ” If a dead man can do it, it ain’t behaviour. And if a dead man can’t do it, then it is behaviour” Often, the term behaviour is used to reference a larger class of responses that share physical dimensions or function. In this instance, the term response indicates a single instance of that behaviour. If a group of responses have the same function, this group can be classified as a response class. Finally, when discussing a person’s collection of behaviour, repertoire is used. It can either pertain specifically to a set of response classes that are relevant to a particular situation, or it can refer to every behaviour that a person can do. The prevalence of several behaviour traits in our different schools leaves us in no doubt that there is the need for constant behaviour modification in order to maintain the overall aim of the schools. Behaviours should be altered through positive and negative reinforcement of adaptive behaviour. It could also be the reduction of maladaptive behaviour through positive and negative punishment. It is common to observe frequent cases of truancy, moral laxity, lateness, fighting, drug addiction, cultism, dishonesty, examination malpractice, disrespect for constituted authority, conspicuous lack of sense of duty, punctuality etc. among students, teachers and principals in secondary schools. In some schools, principals are pseudo-democratic and autocratic in their leadership style. In the final analysis, things are left to fall apart because of uncompromising attitude of some of such principals in the management of schools; hence, the schools have been badly infested with bad behaviours. The task of maintaining appropriate behaviour in secondary schools is in keeping with the objectives stated in the National Policy of Education, which emphasizes “ the acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competence both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of his society”.