Dao Thi Thuy Nguyen’s scientific contributions

The current study examined students’ perspectives about misbehaviour in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom in Vietnam. Data were collected through a questionnaire completed by three hundred seventy-nine students (N = 379) from a public university in the South of Vietnam. The most common misbehaviours in the EFL classroom reported by Vietnamese university students were using a cell phone, laptop or iPad inappropriately, forgetting to do homework, and being late for class. However, these behaviours were described as the least troublesome. The most problematic behaviours reported by students were taking a rebellious attitude and giving negative comments on teachers. No significant correlation was found between the frequency of student misbehaviour and their perceived impact of misbehaviour on teachers and their teaching. Students reported that the extent to which they evaluated how misbehaviour might affect teachers and their teaching did not regulate their frequency of misbehaviour. The study also found that there was a relationship between students’ motivation for English language learning and their frequency of engaging in misbehaviour. Students who were highly motivated to learn English would be less likely to engage in unwanted behaviour during the lesson. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.