This study examines how disruptive classroom environments are associated with Grade 8 students’ science achievement across TIMSS 2023 participating countries, with a particular focus on classroom management and learning environment conditions in science education. Disruptions analyzed include student inattentiveness, excessive noise, delayed settling time, student interruptions, rule violations, and peer distractions. The study utilized four major analyses: Cluster analysis, One-way and Two-way ANOVA, and Multiple linear regression analysis. The results from cluster analysis showed countries belonging in high levels of disruption report frequent rule violations, peer distractions, longer settling time, frequent student interruptions, and excessive classroom noise, while countries belonging in low levels of disruption report more orderly classrooms. One-way and two-way ANOVA results showed that while disruption type alone did not significantly affect achievement, overall disruption level had a strong effect, with students in low-disruption settings performing better, particularly in Earth Science. Multiple linear regression identified peer distractions as the strongest negative predictor of achievement across all domains. Other disruption variables showed mixed effects, with some positively associated but not statistically significant. The findings suggest that the overall level of classroom disruption is more strongly associated with science achievement than any single disruption type. The study highlights the need for effective classroom management strategies and policy measures to reduce disruptive environments and improve student engagement and science performance internationally.
Sarita et al. (Mon,) studied this question.