Factorial Structures of Difficult Behaviours of Secondary School Students as Perceived by their Teachers: A Q-Study

Present study is an illustration to the utility of Q-methodology for dealing subjective issues in an objective manner. The issue of difficult behaviours of adolescent learners in classroom is also a subjective issue as there is no well-structured definition is available in the literature. The study used Q-type factor analysis to reveal nine factors structure of the concept difficult behaviours. These factor are- Disobedience, Insensitivity, Dominance, General Deviant Behaviour, Irrational Behaviour, Challenge, Psycho-academic deviance, Ill-Mannered Behaviour, and Mischievous Behaviour. Further on frequency analysis it is revealed that teachers are most concerned about challenge to their authority followed by social behaviours both acting in and acting out type. In third order they are concerned with general behavioural problems. At the same time teachers dont consider at least nineteen out of fifty one behaviours as difficult behaviours. These mostly included ordinary deviant behaviours. This shows that teachers are really aware of the concept of difficult behaviours.