Educational Support to Students with Behavioural Problems in Elementary School

The relationship between behavioural problems and problems in education is an important aspect of student school success. Behavioural problems correlate negatively with the overall student academic, educational, and social success, and they are a frequent cause of student failure. Behavioural problems appear as a reaction to disadvantageous school context. The existence of risk factors in the school environment adversely contributes to student behavioural problems. The aim of this paper is to describe the behavioural problems of elementary school students and to determine whether they are related to the support provided by their teachers. Behavioural problems are described by analysing the frequency of manifesting some behavioural problems with respect to the age and gender of the student. Links of behavioural problems with support provided for such students by their teachers have been analysed through a correlation analysis of the provided and received support in the educational process and manifested problems in the student behaviour. The survey sample consists of students and their teachers from the 4th, 6th, and 8th grades. The results show that externalized behavioural problems are more manifested in the population of male students. In relation to the chronological age or the grade that students attend, there are no significant differences in the manifestation of externalised and internalised behavioural problems and difficulties in learning. Teachers issue significantly more warnings and rules reminders directly to male students, and primary classroom teachers praise their students more often. Significant correlations have been identified between the externalised, internalised, and problems in the students' performance and their estimated experience of justness, equality, and demanding teachers.