Disruptions interrupt classroom instruction every two minutes in Turku

Classroom instruction is interrupted more frequently than once every two minutes, according to a recent doctoral study from the University of Turku. The researcher, Suvi Lehtomäki, monitored lessons in first and third grade classrooms, spending a total of 15 hours observing.

During her observations, Lehtomäki focused only on instances where teachers responded to disruptions. The most common interruptions included students speaking out of turn, forgetting to raise their hands, and chatting with peers. A significant number of interactions also involved students exhibiting restlessness, such as moving around in their seats.

Although these disruptions are generally minor, their frequent occurrence leads to fragmented lessons. Lehtomäki emphasized that constant interruptions inevitably place a burden on both teachers and students’ learning experiences.

The study suggested that factors, such as the size of the teaching group and the presence of support staff, significantly influenced classroom order. Notably, there were considerably fewer disruptions when a classroom aide was present during split-group instruction.

While teachers generally rated their experiences of classroom order positively, those with stronger beliefs in their classroom management skills reported better environments. Lehtomäki explored questions related to classroom order from the perspectives of teachers, classroom interactions, and public discourse.

The findings indicate that teachers could benefit from professional development and collective support, such as mentorship and co-teaching, to maintain classroom order. Lehtomäki suggested that this support should particularly target teachers with less than five years of experience and subject teachers in secondary education. Her dissertation will be defended at the University of Turku on November 15.