The Teacher Management of Disruptive Behaviors in Schools Located in unsafe Areas in El Salvador

Abstract

Insecurity found in some communities in El Salvador has entered schools and affected internal dynamics. One of these has been the teachers-student relationship, highlighting the erosion of teaching authority and the challenges that it implies to maintain discipline within the classroom. In this context, some students exhibit disruptive behaviors such as opposition to instructions, verbal violence or threats towards the teachers. The main objective of the article is to analyze the way in which teachers manage the disruptive behaviors of students within schools located in a context of insecurity. This article is derived from a research program called Education in Risk and Conflict Situations, developed between 2017 and 2022. During its third stage, the research applied 50 interviews to teachers and directors who work in six schools located in unsafe communities. The results of the article identify various disciplinary management strategies; these are not attached to a single pedagogical model; they respond to actions that the teacher feels capable of taking in conditions that may imply a danger. The availability of scarce resources by teachers for disciplinary management is also observed, perceiving the teacher as isolated to confront such behaviors. In addition, given the scarcity of resources, teachers highlight the actions they carry out individually that are most effective for dealing with such situations. The study visualizes the dynamics that teachers face daily when they are developing their work in unsafe conditions and emphasizes the need to generate more material and didactic resources and support networks to promote better working conditions.