Teachers’ Perception of Students with Disruptive Behavior and Poor Working Memory. (c2015)

Abstract

The present study investigated how teachers perceive children with poor working memory who exhibit disruptive behavior and whether disruptive behavior is associated with poor working memory. Four schools participated from the city of Beirut and suburbs including 115 students from grades one to three, and 12 teachers. The teachers completed three scales: Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF), Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS), and Teacher Child Rating Scale (T-CRS); teacher interviews were also conducted for teachers. Children were tested for poor working memory using the digit memory test (DMT). Results showed significant correlation between poor working memory and disruptive behavior and teachers perceive these exhibited behaviors based on their inner judgment. Future directions are suggested to guide teachers on how to professionally report students with disruptive behavior.