Environmental and Emotional Determinants of Student Misbehavior: A Qualitative Study in a Philippine Secondary School
Julie Calumba, Erika Jean Duay, Carl Vincent Catap, Gretchen Malasibas, Jerick Tabasen
Received: 26 February 2026; Revised: 25 March 2026; Accepted: 10 April 2026; Published: 11 April 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.66074/I9O8P7A6S
Abstract
Student misbehavior continues to persist in secondary education, affecting academic engagement, classroom climate, and adolescent development. Although previous research has highlighted disciplinary management and behavioral control strategies, fewer studies have qualitatively examined how students themselves interpret the environmental and emotional forces shaping their conduct. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study explored the reciprocal interaction between environmental exposure and personal emotional processes in influencing student misbehavior within a Philippine secondary school context. A qualitative design was employed, involving six students with records of disciplinary actions selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method to generate meaningful and essential patterns. The findings revealed three interconnected areas: peer influences and social environment; emotional regulation and impulsive anger responses, and moral awareness reinforced by family guidance and reflective thinking. The results suggest that student misbehavior arises not only from external pressures but from the dynamic interplay between social reinforcement, emotional regulation capacities, and internalized moral reasoning. These findings contribute to the fast-growing body of literature emphasizing multidimensional approaches to adolescent behavior and highlight the importance of integrating emotional literacy, peer-based interventions, and values education into school policies. Addressing both environmental and intrapersonal determinants may support the development of ethically responsible and emotionally competent learners.
Keywords: adolescence, emotional regulation, moral development, peer influence, qualitative research, student misbehavior
Author Information: General Aguinaldo National High School; [email protected]