Behaviour in Scottish schools: research report 2023

Footnotes

1. Most of these questions ask how often staff have experienced each of these behaviours within the last teaching week, with the exception of a question that asks how many incidents of each type of behaviour they have personally experienced directed at them in the last 12 months.

2. For serious disruptive behaviours the proportion of staff that have experienced each of these at least once during the last teaching week is reported on, rather than at least once a day as these occur less frequently than low-level and disengagement behaviours.

3. 38% had experienced this in the classroom and 32% around the school in the last week

4. This varies for each of the protected characteristics asked about, ranging from 0% for some to 6% for others.

5. For example, the proportion of primary support staff having experienced violence between pupils in the classroom in the last week has increased from 42% in 2016 to 58% in 2023 and among secondary support staff from 17% to 44%. Experiences of this among both primary and secondary school teachers has risen as well as among secondary headteachers.

6. 3% of staff experienced use of a weapon toward themselves or other staff in the classroom and 2% around the school. 6% experienced use of a weapon towards other pupils in the classroom and 5% around the school.

7. On a scale of one to five (one being ‘not at all,’ five being ‘a great deal’)

8. Having given this a rating of two-five on the aforementioned scale

9. See the Overall Perceptions of Behaviour Chapter for the findings on staff experiences of each type of behaviour in the last teaching week or day

10. In relation to promoting positive behaviour, 94% of primary teachers and 91% of secondary teachers gave a rating of 4 or 5 (with 1 being ‘not confident at all’ and 5 being ‘very confident.’ In relation to responding to indiscipline 82% of primary teachers and 81% of secondary teachers gave this a rating of either 4 or 5.

11. Scottish Government (2022) Scottish Government - Getting it right for every child

12. Scottish Government (2008) Curriculum for Excellence: Building the curriculum 3. A framework for learning and teaching. Available at: Building the Curriculum 3: A Framework for Learning and Teaching (education.gov.scot)

13. Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence

14. Scottish Government (2019) Scottish Government - 2019 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan: Achieving excellence and equity

15. Scottish Government (2018) Scottish Government - Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour

16. Scottish Government (2017) Scottish Government - Behaviour in Scottish schools: 2016 research

17. Scottish Government (2019) Review of Personal and Social Education: preparing Scotland's children and young people for learning, work and life

18. Education Scotland (2017) Education Scotland - Scottish Attainment Challenge

19. Scottish Government (2019) Scottish Government - Presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting: Guidance

20. Scottish Government (2020) Scottish Government - Review of additional support for learning implementation: report

21. Education Scotland (2021) Education Scotland - Restorative approaches to support positive relationships and behaviour

22. Education Scotland (2021) Education Scotland - Nurture and trauma-informed approaches: A summary of supports and resources

23. Glasgow City Council (2017) Glasgow City Council - Applying Nurture as a Whole School Approach: A Framework to support the Self-evaluation of Nurturing Approaches in Schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Settings

24. Education Endowment Foundation (2022) Education Endowment Foundation - The Impact of COVID-19 on Learning: A review of the evidence

25. Public Health Scotland (2021). Public Health Scotland - The impact of COVID-19 on children and young people in Scotland: 10 to 17-years-olds. Edinburgh. Public Health Scotland.

26. Inchley et al (2023). University of Glasgow - Findings from the HBSC 2022 Survey in Scotland. Health behaviour in school-aged children: World Health Organization collaborative cross-national study (HBSC)

27. The Scottish Government and Education Scotland (2021). Equity Audit. Coronavirus (COVID-19): impact of school building closures - equity audit - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

28. Online professional learning on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, Children and Young People’s Mental Health - A Professional Learning Resource For All School Staff

29. It was noted to participants that whilst it was possible to complete the survey on a smartphone, it would take longer to complete the survey in this way

30. Due to the greater control over routing and automatic checks where respondents miss out a response or enter an impossible/implausible response

31. Special schools were not included, and schools listed as both primary and secondary were treated as primary only. A further 4 newly opened schools that were not in the 2021 Scottish Government school-level summary statistics therefore were not included as data required for sample stratification was not yet available.

32. Sample distribution by Local Authority was checked and was a close match to the population.

33. The number of teachers invited per school was proportionate to the total number of teachers that worked in each school. As limited data was available about the number of support staff per school, the number of support staff invited per school was also allocated proportionately to the total number of teachers that worked in each school.

34. Fieldwork in 2016 ran from 9^th February to 18^th March which was very similar to previous waves

35. Bolling, K. and Swales, K. (2017) Response Rates on UK Random Probability Face-to-face Surveys, paper presented at the MRS Roundtable on Research Design, Data Collection and Innovation

36. These reasons were given by schools in 2016 for not having the time to participate for both the quantitative and qualitative elements of the research

37. Prior to weighting the response data was checked for identifiable errors, where respondents may have selected an incorrect school from the drop-down list at the start of the survey. As a result of standard web and paper survey completion checks 11 duplicate responses were excluded from the overall response.

38. 10% of support staff completed the survey on paper in 2016

39. Behaviour in Scottish Schools (2006). Wilkin, A., Moor, H., Murfield, J., Kinder, K., Johnson, J. National Foundation for Educational Research. Scottish Executive Social Research. Behaviour in Scottish Schools (nfer.ac.uk)

40. Behaviour in Scottish Schools (2009). Munn, P., Sharp, S., Lloyd, G., MacLeod, G. et al. Moray House School of Education and Sport, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity. Behaviour in Scottish Schools 2009: Final Report — University of Edinburgh Research Explorer

41. Behaviour in Scottish Schools (2012). Black, C., Chamberlain, V., Murray, L. et al. Ipsos MORI Scotland. Scottish Government. Behaviour in Scottish schools 2012: final report | The Learning Exchange (iriss.org.uk)

42. Behaviour in Scottish Schools (2016). Black, C., Eunson, J., Murray, L et al. Ipsos MORI Scotland. Scottish Government. Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2016 (www.gov.scot)

43. Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., McNaughton Nicholls, C., and Ormston, R. [eds.] (2013). Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage

44. The following protected characteristics were not captured in the survey: age, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnerships and pregnancy and maternity

45. Further detail is provided in Annex G on the technical details of the survey sampling and the instructions for schools on how to select the sample of staff to invite to take part is provided in Annex D

46. Most of these questions ask how often staff have experienced each of these behaviours within the last teaching week, with the exception of a question that asks how many incidents of each type of behaviour they have personally experienced directed at them in the last 12 months.

47. For serious disruptive behaviours the proportion of staff that have experienced each of these at least once during the last teaching week is reported on, rather than at least once a day as these occur less frequently than low-level and disengagement behaviours.

48. 38% had experienced this in the classroom and 32% around the school in the last week

49. This varies for each of the protected characteristics asked about, ranging from 0% for some to 6% for others.

50. In secondary schools, pupils are required to move between different classes over the course of a school day increasing the opportunity for arriving late, whereas in primary school pupils will be in a single class throughout the day with late arrivals only likely at school opening and following lunch and break times.

51. Though this will also reflect the frequency at which staff witnessed an opportunity for pupils to challenge others’ negative behaviour

52. Most of these questions ask how often staff have experienced each of these behaviours within the last teaching week, with the exception of a question that asks how many incidents of each type of behaviour they have personally experienced directed at them in the last 12 months.

53. The only exception was for physical violence for which a similar proportion reported having experienced this in the classroom amongst pupils in the last week (52% among P1-3 teachers and 51% among P4-7 teachers).

54. Note that this refers to the proportion of all staff that report each of these types of abuse directed at themselves or other staff and does not reflect the proportion of staff with each of these protected characteristics that have experienced these in this time frame. See Limitations to methodology in Chapter 3.

55. The questions relating to behaviour around the school were not asked of support staff

56. As noted in Chapter 3 Methodology it is not possible to ascertain whether the study accurately reflects the experiences of staff with protected characteristics due to the survey not gathering this demographic information (other than for gender).

57. 3% of staff experienced use of a weapon toward themselves or other staff in the classroom and 2% around the school. 6% experienced use of a weapon towards other pupils in the classroom and 5% around the school. A much higher proportion have encountered verbal abuse towards other pupils (67%) and physical aggression (59%) in the classroom in the last week.

58. This was reported by all primary and secondary staff types in relation to physical violence and by primary and secondary teachers and secondary support staff in relation to physical aggression.

59. Head teachers and secondary support staff.

60. 50% of support staff report that all or most pupils are generally well-behaved in the classroom as described in Chapter 4.

61. Overall, 54%-78% of staff in 2023 report that pupils are generally well-behaved in each of the locations staff were asked about, such as in the dining hall (78%), corridors (72%), toilets (54%).

62. This is across the following four behaviours: Pupils withdrawing from interaction with others/you, deliberately socially excluding others, leaving the classroom without permission, missing lessons (e.g. truancy).

63. This behaviour was asked only of headteachers and teachers in relation to negative behaviours ‘around the school’

64. 58% of primary support staff who were asked this follow-up question in 2023 as they had encountered physical violence towards other pupils in the classroom in the last week and 42% in 2016

65. See Supplementary tables 4.62-4.70 for abuse towards other pupils in the classroom and 4.85-4.93 for abuse towards other pupils around the school

66. This includes general verbal, physical aggression or violence and abuse relating to each of the protected characteristics

67. As shown in Chapter 4, 42% of all staff experienced at least one incident of general verbal abuse and 21-27% experienced at least one incident of physical aggression or violence directed towards them personally in the last 12 months

68. This includes general verbal, physical aggression or violence and abuse relating to each of the protected characteristics

69. Staff were given the option to select ‘Not applicable (e.g. not in post here before March 2020).’ Figures and base sizes presented in this chapter have excluded staff to whom these questions were not applicable.

70. In the multivariable regression analysis, a selection of variables capturing school, staff and pupil factors were added at the same time to an analytical model examining the association between the particular factors and each negative behaviour whilst controlling for all other variables in the model. Such analysis allows identification of independent relationships between different factors and the negative behaviour. A model was created for each behaviour listed and run separately for whether teachers, headteachers and support staff in primary and secondary schools reported experiencing the behaviour.

71. The construction of scales used to measure each of these is described in Annex F

72. Social exclusion included ‘Pupils deliberately socially excluding others’ (in the classroom and around the school) and ‘Pupils withdrawing from interaction with peers’ (around the school). See Annex F for more details.

73. See Table F3 in Annex F

74. This includes racist, sexist, religious, homophobic, biphobic and transhobic abuse towards other pupils as well as abuse towards pupils with a disability and additional support need. See Annex F for more detail.

75. See Table F6 in Annex F

76. See Table F7 in Annex F

77. See Table B8 of Annex B

78. On a scale of one to five (one being ‘not at all,’ five being ‘a great deal’)

79. Having given this a rating of two-five on the aforementioned scale

80. See the Overall Perceptions of Behaviour Chapter for the findings on staff experiences of each type of behaviour in the last teaching week or day

81. Don’t know responses were included in the 2016 tables for each of these three behaviours and were therefore included in the 2023 figures presented in this Differences over time sub-section only to allow comparison over time. As ‘Don’t know’ would typically be excluded the 2023 findings presented above this sub-section do not include this so are not exactly the same as those presented here. See Methodology for further detail.

82. See the Overall Perceptions of Behaviour Chapter for the findings on staff experiences of each type of behaviour in the last teaching week or day

83. Using/looking at mobile phones/tablets was only mentioned by 1% of primary school staff, likely due to household and school rules around primary school aged children’s access to technology. This absence at the primary school level reduces the total impact recorded in primary and secondary schools combined to 26%. This is despite unsanctioned technology use being the most commonly highlighted issue at the secondary school level.

84. The only one of these behaviours in the three most selected by secondary support staff was general verbal abuse towards you/staff as well using/looking at mobile phones/tablets etc. when they shouldn’t and as talking out of turn.

85. In relation to promoting positive behaviour, 94% of primary teachers and 91% of secondary teachers gave a rating of 4 or 5 (with 1 being ‘not confident at all’ and 5 being ‘very confident.’ In relation to responding to indiscipline 82% of primary teachers and 81% of secondary teachers gave this a rating of either 4 or 5.

86. For brevity, the term 'approach' is used throughout this chapter but it is used in its broadest sense and includes both specific techniques and wider strategies.

87. This table shows the top (mostly commonly reported) approaches. See Supplementary tables 9.1-9.32 for the percentages reporting each of the 32 approaches about which staff were asked.

88. This table shows only the top (mostly commonly reported) approaches. See Supplementary tables 9.1-9.32 for the percentages reporting each of the 32 approaches about which staff were asked.

89. Don’t know responses were included in the 2016 tables for each of these 32 approaches and were therefore included in the 2023 figures presented in this Changes in approaches over time sub-section only to allow comparison over time. As ‘Don’t know’ would typically be excluded the 2023 findings presented above this sub-section do not include this so are not exactly the same as those presented here. Supplementary tables for Chapter 9 show both the proportion excluding Don’t know and including Don’t know (for comparison to 2016). See Methodology for further detail.

90. This includes at least one of the following types of incidents: racist abuse, sexist abuse, abuse towards you due to a disability, abuse towards you due to an additional support need, religious abuse, homophobic, biphobic or transphobic abuse, general verbal abuse, physical aggression or physical violence (see Annex A for questions asked in full).

91. This is of 54% primary and 59% of secondary head teachers, 43% primary and 57% secondary teachers, 53% primary and 49% secondary support staff who had experienced at least one incident of serious disruptive behaviour or violence against them in the last 12 months.

92. The wording was slightly different for teachers and support staff: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each statement: I/My colleagues have received adequate training/sufficient learning on how to deal with relationship and behaviour difficulties.

93. Fieldwork in 2016 ran from 9^th February to 18^th March which was very similar to previous waves