LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS
SCOPING REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/7qwrma56Keywords:
Leadership strategies, disruptive behaviour, school leadership, behaviour management, rural primary schoolsAbstract
Primary schools in rural areas have struggled with disruptive student behaviour, which has serious repercussions for learning, teaching, and school environment. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the gaps in research and the way forward by reviewing the body of literature on leadership strategies being used to deal with disruptive behaviour in rural primary schools. The scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. Papers published after 2020 were retrieved using ERIC, ProQuest and Semantic Scholar. After removing the duplicates, 128 records were analysed. After screening, 10 of the records fitted the inclusion criteria. Some key leadership strategies identified were school-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS), community and parental participation, teacher training and leadership development coaching. The findings point to the importance of context-sensitive leadership strategies to address disruptive behaviour in rural elementary schools. The study also identifies methodological and geographical limitations as well as the need for mixed-method research and wider regional coverage. These findings have policy implications for the education system, leadership development programs, and teacher training programs.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Uthmaan Kannemeyer, Bakare Kazeem Kayode, Aini Syahira Binti Jamaluddin
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