Educational Research

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A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging

situations in a school setting

Pihla Markkanen, Maritta Välimäki, Minna Anttila & Marko Kuuskorpi

To cite this article: Pihla Markkanen, Maritta Välimäki, Minna Anttila & Marko Kuuskorpi
(2020) A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school setting, Educational
Research, 62:1, 46-62, DOI: 10.1080/00131881.2020.1711790

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2020.1711790

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EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
2020, VOL. 62, NO. 1, 46–62
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2020.1711790

A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a

school setting
a
Pihla Markkanen , Maritta Välimäkia,b, Minna Anttilaa and Marko Kuuskorpic
a
Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland; bSchool of Nursing, Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; cPiikkiö comprehensive school, Kaarina, Finland

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Background: Good teacher–pupil relationships support the well- Received 13 March 2019
being of pupils and promote a good atmosphere in school settings. Accepted 2 January 2020
However, pupils’ diverse needs and behavioural problems can cause KEYWORDS
challenging situations for teaching staff. There is currently limited Well-being; Teachers’
understanding about the nature of these situations and how teachers professional development;
respond and interact with pupils when these challenges arise. Reflection; Gibbs’ reflective
Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the reflections of teaching cycle; Teacher–pupil
staff on challenging situations with pupils, in order to gain insight into relationship; Pupil behaviour
how teaching staff understand and conceptualise challenging
situations.
Sample, Design and Method: A descriptive qualitative study design
was used. The data were collected from an online course aiming to
support the skills that teaching staff employ when facing challenging
situations with pupils. Participants were teaching staff who worked at
a school in Finland. Qualitative data were derived from the reflective
writings of these participants (teachers and classroom assistants,
N = 10) about challenging situations. The participants structured their
reflective writings using Gibbs’ reflective cycle. Eight participants
allowed us to use their writings as research data. The data analysis
was a combination of deductive and inductive analysis.
Results: Teaching staff were able to reflect on challenging situa-
tions from a variety of perspectives. Gibbs’ reflective cycle was
a helpful aid for teaching staff when reflecting on their feelings,
thoughts, and actions related to challenging situations. The parti-
cipants tried to understand the challenging situations from the
pupils’ point of view and considered the situations as opportunities
to learn to review their professional practice.
Conclusions: Teaching staff face challenging situations with pupils and
have to meet the diverse needs of pupils constantly, in their everyday
work. This small-scale study gives in-depth insight into teaching per-
sonnel’s reflections on these situations. According to this study, the use
of frameworks such as Gibbs’ reflective cycle may help focus reflective
learning gleaned from challenging experiences.

Introduction and background

Cognitive, social and emotional well-being is essential to the development of children and
adolescents (Walter, Gouze, and Lim 2006). Teachers have an important role in supporting

CONTACT Pihla Markkanen pihmar@utu.fi

© 2020 NFER
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 47

children and adolescents’ well-being, since pupils spend a considerable amount of time in
schools. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), ado-
lescents who reported good life satisfaction were more likely to report positive relation-
ships with their teachers (OECD 2017). However, there is a significant number of pupils
experiencing a range of challenging and complex needs in the classroom and, as
a consequence, teachers have had to adjust their everyday work (Reinke et al. 2011;
Sullivan et al. 2014). Mental health problems among pupils at school are a global concern
(Belfer 2008), with the most common problems thought to be disruptive behaviour and
anxiety disorders (Costello, Egger, and Angold 2005). The number of psychiatric and
neurodevelopmental diagnoses among children and adolescents has increased in several
high-income countries during the last decades (Atladottir et al. 2015). Some hold that if
support for pupils with concerns were provided at an earlier stage in schools, it might
lower their emotional and behavioural barriers to learning (Walter, Gouze, and Lim 2006).
Teachers have reported that the most prevalent challenging classroom behaviour
includes off-task behaviour, verbal aggression and verbal disruption (Alter, Walker, and
Landers 2013; Sun and Shek 2012). Sullivan et al. (2014) found that the most prevalent
behavioural problems were the low-level disruptive and disengaged behaviours, with
teachers having difficulties managing them (Sullivan et al. 2014). In a study by Reinke et al.
(2011), teachers rated their concerns related to pupils, and also found behavioural
problems such as disruptive, aggressive and conduct problems to be most concerning.
Other concerns were hyperactivity and inattention problems, family stressors, problems
with social skills and depression. (Reinke et al. 2011.) On the other hand, it is not entirely
clear what kinds of behaviour teachers consider challenging, and teachers do not have
common understanding of how to define challenging behaviour (Nash, Schlösser, and
Scarr 2016). As a socially constructed concept, challenging behaviour is a complex con-
cept which is variously defined and may vary even between classrooms (Grieve 2009;
Nash, Schlösser, and Scarr 2016).
Teachers may lack confidence in their ability simultaneously to support pupils’ well-
being and to manage challenging situations during the school day (Graham et al. 2011;
Lang et al. 2013, Sisask et al. 2014). Although teachers encounter pupils’ mental health
issues everyday, teachers still report that they have insufficient knowledge about how to
manage their pupils’ diverse range of needs (Graham et al. 2011; Westling 2010).
Therefore, teachers need support in knowing how to respond to the challenging beha-
viour of their pupils (Garland, Garland, and Vasques 2013; Reinke et al. 2011).
School teachers acknowledge their role in supporting their pupils (Reinke et al. 2011;
Rothi, Leavey and Best 2008, Sisask et al. 2014). The relationship between the teacher and
pupil is important for the sake of pupils’ development, mental health and well-being (Lang
et al. 2013; Sarkova et al. 2014). Children who have a positive relationship with their
teachers are less likely to have behavioural problems in their later school years
(Sutherland et al. 2013). It has also been found that a good teacher–pupil relationship is
related to a lower level of depression and anxiety symptoms among pupils (Sarkova et al.
2014). As atmosphere in the classroom affects pupils’ engagement and behaviour, focusing
on supporting pupils’ engagement may be more effective than concentrating on conse-
quences and punishments (Sullivan et al. 2014). According to Nash, Schlösser, and Scarr
(2016), simply managing challenging behaviour is not enough for pupils with complex
48 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

emotional needs. They may benefit from clear boundaries, but they also need reflective
and emphatic responses from the teaching staff. (Nash, Schlösser, and Scarr 2016.)
Reflection, as a way of thinking, relies on the recollection of events and refers to the usual
method of mulling over an event or experience (Fakude and Bruce 2003). Reflection as
a teaching method (Schön 1991) can support learning from experiences, feelings, reactions
and attitudes (Boyd and Fales 1983; Wong et al. 1995). Reflection entails recalling the
experience of a specific event and helps to analyse and evaluate the situation as it occurred
(Fakude and Bruce 2003). It includes self-awareness and critical analysis, which can develop
a new perspective on old events (Atkins and Murphy 1993). Reflection related to one’s own
work may, therefore, enhance professional performance by improving insight and helping
to connect/convert knowledge into practice (Berglund, Sjögren, and Ekesbergh 2012).
The literature which explores reflection presents various examples of how reflection as
a concept and/or tool has been applied in education (Berglund, Sjögren, and Ekesbergh 2012;
Crowe and O’Malley 2006). The most commonly used method is writing or documenting
personal experiences in a reflective diary (Schön 1991), reflective journal (Atkins and Murphy
1993; Chirema 2007), or educational portfolio (Pereira, Parente, and da Silva 2016). Reflective
methods can support learning and the identification of the significance of any experience
(Pereira, Parente, and da Silva 2016). Reflective writings may, therefore, be helpful in making
sense of challenging situations by identifying connections between personal experiences and
professional values (Walmsley and Birkbeck 2006; Berglund, Sjögren, and Ekesbergh 2012).
Beavers, Orange, and Kirkwood (2017) found that the levels of critical reflection of pre-service
teachers increased when the teachers were given regular guidance and the appropriate tools
for reflection (Beavers, Orange, and Kirkwood 2017). In the quasi-experimental study by
Fakude and Bruce (2003), nursing students engaged in reflective writing during their eight-
week period in clinical nursing. They were asked to write about their experiences and to
analyse one clinical event per week using Gibbs’ reflective cycle. This study suggests that the
reflective method enabled the students (N = 20) to describe their clinical event more
accurately than those students who did not use reflective writing (control group, N = 23).
(Fakude and Bruce 2003.)

Purpose of the present study

In order to promote pupils’ learning and teachers’ professional development, teachers are
expected to learn and reflect throughout their careers (Vermunt and Endedijk 2011).
However, there is little literature specifically on teachers’ reflections on challenging
situations during daily school life. In this study, we explored the reflections of teaching
staff on challenging situations with pupils in a school environment.

Method
Participants
In Finland, children begin compulsory schooling the year during which they turn 7 years
old, and they are required to attend school for 9 years. Comprehensive school comprises
the primary level (grades 1 to 6) and the lower secondary level (grades 7 to 9). Education is
free of charge at all levels, and comprehensive schools are maintained by municipalities.
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 49

Less than 3% of each age cohort go to private schools (Kumpulainen 2018). The schools
do not select their pupils based on ability, and children usually, as a matter of course,
attend a school in their neighbourhood or, otherwise, somewhere nearby. The support for
pupils with special needs is mainly provided in mainstream education (Basic education
Act 628 1998, Ministry of Education and Culture).
The participants in this study were teaching staff (class teachers working at the primary
level, subject teachers working at the lower secondary level and classroom assistants from
both levels) at a comprehensive school in Finland. At the time of the study, the school
provided education for between 550 and 600 pupils. In Finland, teachers have master’s
degree in education or in a specific subject (e.g. biology) in addition to pedagogical
studies (Ministry of Education and Culture https://www.oph.fi/en/education-system).
Special teachers have a master’s-level qualification in special education (Paju et al.
2016). In addition, all schools have classroom assistants to help pupils with special
needs during the school day (Takala 2007). The training and education needed to qualify
as a classroom assistant is offered by vocational institutes and takes 1 year (Paju et al.
2016).

Instrumentation
The data collection was part of an online course organised by the University of Turku. It
was intended to promote teaching staff’s ability to deal with challenging situations with
pupils. The framework of the course was adapted from an online course aimed at
managing the challenging behaviour of patients in mental health settings. It had already
been demonstrated that this online course was effective in managing challenging situa-
tions and in changing practices in demanding health care settings (Lahti et al. 2014;
Kontio et al. 2011). Therefore, the structure and pedagogical approaches of the course
were adapted to our course context.
The online course for teaching staff included seven modules: 1) introduction to the
course, 2) legislation related to school safety, 3) ethical issues in teaching, 4) internal and
external factors associated with pupils’ challenging behaviour, 5) teachers’ self-awareness
and interaction with pupils in challenging situations, 6) teamwork at school, and 7)
integration of evidence-based knowledge and practice in schools. Each module took
about 3 weeks. Modules consisted of self-directed learning with specifically adapted
course material (electronic presentations, scientific articles). The participants also took
part in peer discussions (in a written format) to share their thoughts with other course
participants. A reflective diary allowed the participants to reflect on their experiences and
learning development (Schön 1991). After each module, a course mentor (a nurse trained
to do the task) gave individual feedback and answered any questions that arose. Course
mentors were mental health nurses who had work experience with children and/or
adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems.
The participants were required to describe their reflections over a period of 7 weeks (1
entry per module). The content of the reflection was structured by Gibbs’ (1988) model of
the reflective cycle. It comprises six stages that guide the process of reflection and focuses
on learning from experiences. The stages proceed as follows: 1) Describe what happened
without any conclusions at this point in time, 2) Describe your reactions and feelings
during and after the experience, 3) Evaluate the situation; what was good or bad in the
50 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

situation, 4) Analyse the situation; what sense you can make of the situation, 5) Conclude;
what else could you have done in the situation, 6) Make an action plan, if the situation
happened again, what would you do? (Gibbs 1988).
Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle supports reflective learning from experiences by providing
a framework for reflection. The model involves feelings, thoughts and recommendations for
future actions in the reflective process. Gibbs describes the use of the reflective cycle in many
different educational methods, such as diaries, case-studies and simulations (Gibbs 1988).
The model was selected because in previous studies it has been found to be helpful in
identifying the connection between personal experiences and professional values and in
maintaining reflective practices (Ashby 2006; Walmsley and Birkbeck 2006; Quinton and
Smallbone 2010). In each course module, participants were requested to recall
a challenging situation in school, answer a set of questions, and integrate their reflections
using evidence-based course material.
The participants returned their reflective texts via the learning platform. After approxi-
mately a week, they received written individual feedback from one of the course mentors.
The online course was conducted in Finnish, and the participants wrote their reflective
texts in Finnish. The quotations in this study have been translated into English for the
purposes of publication.

Study recruitment
After course completion, a meeting was organised with the course participants.
Information was shared about the study, its aims and data collection. Prospective parti-
cipants were assured that participation was voluntary and that there was confidentiality
and anonymity regarding the course exercises. Participants were also informed about
their rights to refuse or suspend their participation. The participants were given a written
consent form requesting permission for the use of the reflective writings as research data.
Of the 15 members of the teaching staff who signed up for the online course, 10
completed the course, and eight agreed to participate in the study. Four of the partici-
pants were classroom assistants and four were teachers (special teachers, classroom
teachers or subject teachers). On account of the small sample size, detailed background
information was not requested, in order to ensure the participants’ anonymity.

Ethical issues
Approval to undertake the study was granted from the municipal educational adminis-
tration and the principal of the school. According to Finnish research regulations (Medical
Research Act, 488 1999) and the regulations of the local research committees, no state-
ment from the ethics committee was necessary (European Commission, 2013) because
the study did not involve patients, and the participation of teachers and classroom
assistants was voluntary (Finlex 488 1999).
In line with ethical practices, all personal information remained confidential and
anonymous (Varantola et al. 2012). Individually written reflective writings were seen
only by the mentors during the course. The participants wrote about very personal
experiences with the pupils. Therefore, the fact that all the participants knew each
other had to be taken into consideration when reporting the results. The results are
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 51

reported in such a way that the possibility of participants recognising each other has been
minimised. For example, the writings about significant incidents and reflections about
them have been separated. The quotations were also chosen carefully in a way that they
do not contain any identifying data. Moreover, the participants’ roles are not specified in
the quotations because of the small group of participants and the possibility that they
could identify each other. On the other hand, the fact that all the participants work at the
same school can be considered as a benefit for the course. The participants could develop
new practices together and were able to discuss issues relevant to their school during the
course.

Data analysis
The analysed data comprised 36 separate texts (80 pages with a 2-cm wide margin on
each side of the text, a line spacing of 1.5 and 12-point Times New Roman font). The
data were analysed based on a descriptive qualitative study design. A qualitative
approach is useful when the aim of the study is to develop an understanding of an
individual’s experiences, such as challenging situations in school settings (Petty 2012). In
this study, our qualitative approach explored how these experiences were constructed
by the participants as they were given the opportunity to accurately describe their
reality (Polit and Beck 2010). The analysis was a combination of deductive and inductive
analysis. In the deductive analysis, the thematic main categories were based on Gibbs’
reflective cycle (Hsieh and Shannon 2005). Gibbs’ model was used as a thematic frame-
work for the data analysis (Vaismoradi 2013), i.e. the findings were analysed and
presented according to it.
The participants structured their reflective writings with the guidance of Gibbs’ reflec-
tive cycle and used its questions as headings. It was easy to find out which parts of the
texts answered which questions. First, from all the reflections, the parts answering the first
question in Gibbs’ cycles, ‘what happened’, were gathered together and analysed with
content analysis. Second, the parts of each reflection describing a participant’s ‘feelings
and thoughts related to the situation’ were gathered and analysed. The procedure
continued similarly through all six stages of Gibbs’ reflective cycle (Vaismoradi 2013).
Inductive content analysis was used for coding and developing subcategories within
the main categories from the deductive phase (Hsieh and Shannon 2005). At each stage,
the data were first read through several times to obtain a holistic sense (Graneheim and
Lundman 2004). The unit of analysis was selected to be a sentence or paragraph answer-
ing the questions of Gibbs’ reflective cycle. These units were abstracted into codes. The
codes were then sorted according to similarities and differences and transferred to tables.
Ultimately, all similar codes were sorted into subcategories. (Graneheim and Lundman
2004; Hsieh and Shannon 2005.)

Trustworthiness of the study

Trustworthiness is defined here as credibility, conformability, dependability, and transferability
(Polit and Beck 2010). First, credibility refers to confidence in the data presented from the
participants’ point of view. The participants differed in their professional backgrounds, which
increased the possibility of gaining information from a variety of teaching situations and
52 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

classroom experiences (Polit and Beck 2010; Graneheim and Lundman 2004). However, the
participants had completed an online course so they may have therefore been more moti-
vated in their professional development than those who did not participate in the
course. Second, conformability refers to the objectivity of the data. To ensure conformability,
the data analysis was carefully described and direct quotations from the data were used (Polit
and Beck 2010). Using Gibbs’ reflective cycle as framework for the data analysis made the
participants’ reflection process visible through the structure of their writing. Moreover, induc-
tive content analysis was used for the data categorisation in each stage of Gibbs’ reflective
cycle (Hsieh and Shannon 2005). During the analysis process, the data were first coded and
categorised by the first author, and then all the subcategories and main categories were
discussed and resolved with the other authors (Graneheim and Lundman 2004). Third,
dependability refers to the stability of the data (Polit and Beck 2010). To support the depend-
ability of the data collection process, study recruitment and the online course were carefully
described so that the research procedures would be visible to the reader. Fourth, transferability
refers to the degree to which the findings can be transferred to other contexts (Polit and Beck
2010). This study was conducted at one comprehensive school, and the results are clearly not
intended to be generalisable to other schools (Graneheim and Lundman 2004; Polit and Beck
2010). However, the contribution of the study is the presentation of an in-depth analysis of rich
data that can provide insights to inform further research and good professional practice.

Findings
The findings of this study are presented according to thematic categories, based on Gibbs’
reflective cycle. This helped to structure our presentation of participants’ reflections and
contextualise the findings in a meaningful way. Anonymised and translated excerpts and
examples from the reflective writings are included where they help to elucidate and
describe the findings from the analysis.

Descriptions of challenging situations

A summary of the teaching staff’s reflections is presented in Table 1.
First, the non-compliance of pupils was described in situations where pupils refused to
do schoolwork or obey the rules. They did not follow the teacher’s requests, or they
arrived late to class. Some pupils were not able to concentrate on school activities. In
some cases, pupils were restless and disturbed peers by wandering around the classroom
and concentrating on other things (for example, mobile phones or make-up).

“During the lessons, she almost always talks with someone on the phone, puts on make-up
and talks about sex.”

Second, participants described how pupils were verbally or physically aggressive (for
example, yelling, cursing or hitting), and how it was directed towards teaching staff or
their peers. The texts revealed that pupils sometimes tried to hurt teaching staff during
pedagogic and interactive school discussions. Pupils would sometimes push each other or
teaching staff, which could lead to larger incidents.
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 53

Table 1. Summary of the teaching staff’s reflections.

Main categories and subcategories
DESCRIPTIONS OF CHALLENGING SITUATIONS EVALUATION OF THE SITUATION
Non-compliance What went well in the situation
Refusals Good interaction with the pupil
Concentration difficulties Support from co-workers
Aggressive behaviour Discussions and resolving the situation
Verbal aggression Concerns about the situation
Physical aggression Ineffective and unprofessional interaction with
Withdrawn behaviour the pupil
Not sharing what is on one’s mind Negative consequences
Disappointment in oneself
CONCLUSIONS MADE ABOUT THE CHALLENGING
FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS DURING AND AFTER SITUATIONS
CHALLENGING SITUATIONS Good practices in challenging situations
Negative feelings Good interaction skills and respect
Displeasure Guidelines being available
Melancholy One’s own abilities
Distress One’s own actions
Positive feelings Evaluations of improvement
Relief Need for knowledge
Joy Knowledge about issues in pupils’
Feeling energetic behaviour
Feelings of surprise Understanding the condition
Astonishment and being startled Support from co-workers
Confusion
Thoughts during and after the situation
ALTERNATIVES AND ACTION PLANS FOR NEXT
Safety of the pupils TIME
Understanding the situation Satisfied with your own actions
Acting professionally
Gaining experience
Suggestions for improving actions
Acting calmly
Anticipating better
Gaining knowledge
Acting in an ethically correct manner

“During recess, a boy in the class started to hit his classmate and I went to help another
teacher hold him back.”

Third, pupils’ withdrawn behaviour was described in situations of disappointment or

conflict with peers. These situations could involve bullying, falling out with friends or
disappointment about schoolwork. Pupils may have been disappointed in themselves if
they did not manage to do the assignments or if they did not complete the tasks as they
wished. For example, a pupil could express disappointment by hitting himself if he could
not answer the questions during class. On the other hand, pupils could become quiet, not
sharing their thoughts or feelings, but showing their emotions by crying or alienating
themselves from peers (for example, after arguing with friends).

Feelings and thoughts related to challenging situations

Negative feelings related to challenging situations were divided into the subcategories
of displeasure, melancholy, and distress. The subcategory displeasure consists of descrip-
tions about feelings of anger, frustration and disappointment. Participants described
being angry at themselves or others during certain situations, especially if they felt they
54 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

were not able to influence the situation. This could happen if a pupil was disruptive or
aggressive and the participant’s actions did not have an effect on the pupil’s behaviour,
or if a pupil ran away from a situation and the participant was unable to stop them.
Feelings of anger arose especially if the participant was a victim of violence. Feelings of
frustration and disappointment were related to situations where a pupil lacked the skills
that he/she should have had or in situations of recurrent misbehaviour from the same
pupil – for example, a pupil continually disturbing the class by yelling at the teaching
staff. Moreover, participants described feelings of frustration when one pupil’s disturb-
ing behaviour prevented the whole class from continuing with the classroom activities.
This might happen, for example, if a teacher was not able to give instructions to the
class because they needed to intervene in one pupil’s behaviour. Participants also
expressed feelings of disappointment about pupils lying and constantly complaining.
Further, participants might feel disappointed in the way a co-worker acted in
a challenging situation, or if the participant did not receive the support expected
from them.
The feelings in the subcategory melancholy include sadness, feelings of failure and
feeling hurt. Sadness was described when participants were faced with bullying in the
class or worrying about a pupil who seemed unhappy or withdrawn. Failure was related to
the participants’ own abilities to manage challenging situations: for example, reacting too
aggressively to pupils’ behaviour or not being able to connect with or interact with
a pupil. Participants described not only failing in the situation but failing as a teacher.
Participants described feeling hurt after being a victim of violence.
Feelings included in the subcategory distress are shock, fear, shame and pity. One class
teacher reflected on feeling shocked when realising that the whole class was behaving in
a very disruptive and exhausting way at the beginning of the semester. Fear was felt when
pupils were physically aggressive; participants also described the feeling of shame after
being a victim of violence. Distress was felt as anxiety: for example, after a participant
made the decision to talk with parents about pupils’ difficulties, and the participant felt
tense about how the parents might react. Participants also experienced feelings of
distress when worrying about non-disruptive pupils in the class or the consequences
that challenging situations might have on them. The feeling of pity was described as
causing distress in situations where a participant had to restrict pupils’ behaviour and felt
unhappy about it.

“ . . . anger when I noticed the girls ran away and I was unable to do anything in the crowd . . . ”

Contrarily, positive feelings of relief and joy and feeling energetic were also mentioned in
challenging situations. Participants described these feelings during and after certain
events, for example, in situations when pupils trusted the teaching staff and told them
their problems, or when the participants had good conversations after a tough situation
and successfully resolved them. One such positive resolution resulting in a feeling of joy
was described when a participant got the pupils to agree that they could take turns sitting
beside the classroom assistant. These types of experiences energised the teaching staff.

“After the discussion I felt at ease. After the situation I somehow felt joy, as if I had achieved
something.”
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 55

Furthermore, participants described feelings of surprise, astonishment, being startled

and confusion. Feelings of astonishment and the sensation of being startled were
described in situations when pupils lacked the skills they should have had. Examples
included a situation when a pupil was not able to translate an easy text, or an
unexpected situation that arose as a pupil revealed information about being bullied
when the teacher had not been aware of it and did not expect it. A sensation of
confusion was described when participants did not understand why a pupil was
displaying challenging behaviour.
“It was unbelievable that a pupil could say that he/she was unable to translate the chapter.”

Thoughts that occurred during challenging situations sometimes focused on rational

thinking, such as getting the pupil to a safe place to calm down where he/she is not in
danger of hurting him/herself or others. The participants also described considering other
pupils’ well-being during the situation. Teaching staff would try to understand the reasons
for the pupil’s behaviour, and they would evaluate their own actions to understand what
may have triggered the pupil’s behaviour. The actions of other individuals were also
evaluated afterwards.
“I have gone through the situation many times in my mind and tried to figure out what has
launched aggression in the pupil.”

Evaluation of the situations

The participants were asked to evaluate the situations, considering the positive and
negative aspects of the events they described. Positive evaluations were given to inter-
actions that encouraged pupils to keep trying or that helped them calm down.
Participants reported feeling successful when they had empathetic and understanding
interactions with pupils and were able to stay calm during conflicts. Further, participants
described support from co-workers when they were present or when they knew how to
act in a challenging situation. Other positive evaluations were mentioned in situations
involving discussions with the pupils, parents or co-workers. These included resolving
a conflict, seeing better behaviour from the pupils after discussions about the challenging
situation, pupils showing greater trust in the adults in the situation, and pupils finding an
adult whom they could talk to. Finding out about bullying was also sometimes seen as
a positive, as it enabled the teaching staff to intervene and work to prevent further
bullying from taking place at school. Participants described how going through
a problematic situation as soon as possible with colleagues, a special education teacher
or other co-workers, was important and helpful.
“One good thing in a situation was that I was able to calm down and help him translate. Even
though I was tired, I showed empathy instead of being bossy.”

Negative evaluations were related to situations that involved poor interactions with the
pupils and negative situations thereafter. An interaction was considered poor when the
teaching staff responded to challenging behaviour in an ineffective or unprofessional
way, i.e. they did not react with empathy or did not take reasons for the behaviour into
account. Staff could also be provoked by a pupil’s defiant or aggressive behaviour and
56 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

respond aggressively. Moreover, interaction with pupils was described as having failed
when the pupil did not seem to understand what is allowed and what is not. Negative
situations after challenging situations included those when pupils displayed aggressive
behaviour or an arrogant attitude. Other negative situations involved the continuation of
a problematic situation or behaviour, disagreement between pupils, bullied pupils refus-
ing to go to school out of fear, and other classmates feeling afraid after an incident.
Furthermore, participants described physical pain after being a victim of violence.

“I behaved too aggressively, cold, I did not even want to find out why a pupil had a bad day or
what motivated his/her behaviour.”

Conclusions made about challenging situations

It is evident from the analysis that, according to the reflections, good practice in challen-
ging situations involves good interaction skills and respect, and good guidelines for
managing a variety of challenging situations. Good interaction skills were mentioned as
being essential for teaching. In particular, interaction with pupils with special and specific
needs must be clear and supportive, especially if the class is restless or in situations that
differ from familiar routines. The writings suggested the belief that respect is the basis for
interactional teaching, and the respect shown by teaching staff towards pupils increases
the pupils’ respect towards them. Moreover, participants described how contact with
pupils improved when more respect was shown to them. Guidelines for managing
a variety of challenging situations were mentioned, as these included good practices,
such as rapid intervention and discussing separately with pupils, guidance about how to
deal with challenging situations, and how to put one’s own feelings aside. Advice about
taking the concerns of pupils seriously, rather than dismissing them, was also mentioned.
The belief that, in bullying situations, all participants should to be treated completely
equally, was highlighted.

“A safe environment will be provided for the child by using rules, trust and authority, and by
discussing at the level of the child.”

Second, conclusions drawn about the teaching staff’s own abilities were based on their
own evaluations of their actions during and after challenging situations. The teaching
staff made it clear that they were aware of the responsibilities of their professional role as
well as their potential limitations, such as the possibility of lack of self-control. Challenges
were also considered to be learning opportunities, when the staff could review their own
professional practices. Evaluations consisted of accounts of how the teaching staff had
made improvements in self-control and in skills in anticipating challenging situations over
the years. For example, more experienced staff had become less sensitive in the sense that
they did not necessarily take offence so easily when the pupils were rude. They were
aware that their own emotions affected their reactions, and they found that controlling
their emotions had become easier after gaining years of working experience. Teaching
staff also described how they had learned to reflect on their own emotions and actions
from different points of view, and they were able to evaluate their own actions related to
a specific class or pupil.
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 57

“I noticed my own insufficiency and afterwards I had to reconsider my own actions and what
kind of a teacher I wanted to be.”

Third, the conclusions drawn about the teaching staff’s need for knowledge were related
to gaining a better understanding of the issues in pupils’ behaviour or condition (for
example, the specific characteristics of their special need). More generally, being familiar
with the special needs of pupils were considered to be helpful in the teachers’ work.
Teachers also expressed their awareness that the support and knowhow from classroom
assistants, who are constantly present, was essential.

“I notice daily though that I would need the assistant in every lesson. Also, knowledge and
understanding about pupils with special diagnoses would ease the everyday routine.”

Alternatives and action plans

It was clear from the data analysis that the teaching staff were satisfied with their actions
at times when they had acted professionally and in a mature way. Equal treatment,
empathetic interactions, and feeling confident in knowing the best way to react in the
situation were all mentioned as being professional reactions. Regularly occurring situa-
tions gave considerable experience and increased preparedness. Empathetic interactions
and feeling satisfied with how they handled challenges provided the participants with the
strength to continue acting in the same way.

“I would act in the same way. I always have a mobile phone with me. If there are not any
adults available, I ask other pupils to get help quickly.”

Suggestions for improving actions included alternatives such as acting more calmly,
better anticipation of situations, gaining better knowledge, and acting ethically. One
suggestion for remaining calm was to leave the situation, even though this might be
problematic as it could potentially mean leaving the class unsupervised if no other adults
were present. Calmness also requires asking for help and support from others, especially
when one’s physical integrity is compromised. The participants suggested that ade-
quately anticipating problems would be helpful, i.e. noticing and addressing pupils’
disruptive or agitated behaviour as soon as possible. Anticipation may be supported by
creating a structured environment in the classroom where the routines, rules, and
expectations are clear to the pupils. A structured environment can be established with
concrete actions and procedures, such as rearranging seating or providing help during
demanding or frustrating assignments. Improving knowledge about pupils and the issues
affecting their behaviour can help with challenging situations and can be obtained, for
example, from online courses. Participants also mentioned that, in the future, they should
be more active in researching their pupils’ special needs and asking the pupils’ supervisors
about them. Handling problematic pupils ethically means seeing the person behind the
misbehaviour and treating them as equally valuable. Negative preconceptions of pupils
may lead to unequal or unfair treatment towards them. Moreover, empathetically dis-
cussing challenging situations with pupils afterwards was suggested to be an ethical way
to improve actions.
58 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

“In other words, to be genuinely interested in the pupil, see the child and his/her well-being
or difficulties behind all that complaining . . . ”

Discussion
The aim of this study was to explore teaching staffs' reflections on challenging situations
with pupils. The study was based on the reflective writings of teaching staff. The study
found that teaching staff dealt with a variety of challenging situations in their daily work
with pupils, such as non-compliance, aggression or withdrawn behaviour. Earlier studies
have suggested that teachers consider the behavioural problems of pupils the most
concerning issue connected to pupils’ well-being (e.g. Reinke et al. 2011). Teaching staff
experienced various feelings towards pupils in challenging situations, such as anger and
frustration, but also joy, and their feelings related to their management of challenging
situations varied from feelings of failure to feelings of satisfaction. These varied feelings
were also identified in a study by Burić, Slišković, and Macuka (2018). According to their
results, teachers most often reported positive feelings related to teaching, such as joy,
happiness, satisfaction and pride. However, they also frequently reported experiences of
negative feelings, such as anger, frustration, exhaustion, hopelessness or resignation.
(Burić, Slišković, and Macuka 2018.)
Participants also held the view that dealing with challenging situations could be
considered an opportunity to develop themselves professionally (e.g. Berglund, Sjögren,
and Ekesbergh 2012). They described that learning to reflect on their own emotions and
controlling their reactions in challenging situations became easier after a long period of
working experience.
In addition, the participants described worries or confused thoughts regarding the
difficulty a teacher faces in understanding the reasons for a pupil’s behaviour. As teachers
have reported in earlier studies, this may be due to the fact that they have insufficient pre-
service education related to pupils’ well-being (e.g. Graham et al. 2011; Westling 2010),
and need better training in responding to challenging behaviour and in supporting
pupils’ well-being (e.g. Garland, Garland, and Vasques 2013; Reinke et al. 2011; Westling
2010). In this study, the online course aimed to encourage the self-confidence of partici-
pants in supporting pupils’ well-being. Even though the classroom roles of the partici-
pants varied, they all reflected on challenging situations with pupils from different points
of view, and the perspective of reflection did not depend on the level of training. This may
be because we used Gibbs’ reflective cycle (1988), which we found to be a helpful aid for
participants when reflecting on their feelings, thoughts, and actions related to challen-
ging situations with pupils. As in previous studies (e.g. Beavers, Orange, and Kirkwood
2017; Fakude and Bruce 2003), participants in our study were able to provide experiences
and thoughts that supported their self-reflection and learning.
The participants considered that increasing their knowledge about issues in pupils’
behaviour would support their ability to anticipate challenging situations. This need for
increased knowledge has also been recognised in earlier studies (e.g. Garland, Garland,
and Vasques 2013; Reinke et al. 2011; Westling 2010). Although not all of those participat-
ing in the course completed it, those who did were satisfied with it. More generally, this
highlights a broader point about the potential of such online education as a support and
 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 59

learning tool. Our research experiences lead us to believe that, in the future, the admin-
istration of professional education should be reconsidered. There are many benefits to
online courses, as they enable participants to study and complete tasks at their own
convenience. It is also important to consider the ways in which teaching staff can be
motivated to participate and engage in professional education and specifically education
of a reflective nature rather than courses focused on short-term solutions. We argue that
the importance of reflection in professional development and as a means of enhancing
professional performance (Berglund, Sjögren, and Ekesbergh 2012) should be highlighted
in pre-service education. Self-reflection should also be supported by school-wide prac-
tices and policies. In this way, more professionals in the future can be offered longer-term
support for dealing with challenging situations.

Limitations and implications for future research

This study includes some limitations. As a small-scale qualitative study with a small
number of participants from same school, the findings are not intended to be generali-
sable to different learning environments or to other regions or countries. The fact that all
the participants worked at the same school could have potentially influenced their
reflections, especially if they had concerns about privacy. Therefore, the texts analysed
in this study were written anonymously and only course mentors have had access to
them. Participants wrote about very personal experiences, which implied that they were
able to trust our confidentiality.
Another aspect of the limitation of this study’s small sample size is that, if the reflec-
tions of teaching assistants and reflections of teachers had been analysed separately,
these findings could have been presented according to professional background. In
a future study, the reflections of teachers and teaching assistants, i.e. the conclusions
they draw in each situation, and the actions they plan to take in future, could be evaluated
separately, according to their different roles and prior training.
Despite the study limitations identified here, we believe that this study offers important
insights through our analysis of the reflections of teaching staff on challenging situations
and how teaching staff reported that they were able to benefit from education that
supported their reflective learning. More research is clearly needed to identify effective
strategies that support teaching staff. In addition, further research is needed to produce
a better level of knowledge and understanding about reflective learning and its benefits, in
education in general and in the professional development of teaching staff more specifically.

Conclusions
This small-scale study presents an analysis of the self-reflections of teaching staff related
to challenging situations with pupils. Teaching staff deal with challenging situations with
pupils constantly in their everyday work, and to manage and anticipate these situations,
teaching staff need education and support when it comes to mental health issues in
school settings. In this study, Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle proved to be a helpful model
and basis for structuring the content of the reflections. The use of frameworks such as
Gibbs’ reflective cycle may help focus participants’ reflections, and turn challenging
situations into valuable learning experiences.
60 P. MARKKANEN ET AL.

Acknowledgments
We would like to express our gratitude to the teaching staff who shared their reflections with us. We
would also like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the mentors of the course. We
acknowledge the University of Turku for providing facilities for the study.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding
This work was supported by TEKES (The Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, project Dnro grant
[1547/31/2012, 40245/12], the grant holder: Professor M.V .

ORCID
Pihla Markkanen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0830-3933

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