Behaviour problem can be considered in different ways. One aspect of problem behaviour is the extrovert behaviour. On the other hand there is the introvert, withdrawn behaviour. Withdrawn behaviour describes social isolation, depression, anxiety and psychosomatic illness (Bruch & Belkin 2001). Pupils with introvert behaviour are in danger of being socially isolated and to develop psychosocial problems, which also can lead to educational problems (Befring 2002). According to earlier studies it seems that pupils with introvert behaviour tend to be more invisible in the classroom then their classmates, and therefore are easier for the teacher to neglect, because introvert children do not cause any trouble for the educational setting (Lund 2008, 2004). Many children with introvert behaviour seem to develop depression and psychosomatic illness (Befring 2002).

Withdrawn children are often inactive, reserved and retired (Iversen, Lønberg & Oskal 2006). They tend not to show what they really feels and they hardly ever take the initiative. Introvert behaviour is not a significant problem for the class, but it is a strain for the withdrawn child, who is often anxious, sad, inhibited in social relations and socially isolated. These children hardly ever seek social relations outside school, and therefore school is an important arena to practice social skills (ibid). When we want to be good at something, we need to practice, and in order to develop social skills we need practice in social relations. Management in social relations is important to build children’s self-image and self-confidence, and it is also an important element to feel pleasure (Feilberg & Mjaavatn 2000). Managing social skills is also important to create resilience for children, which is cardinal in difficult situations, together with the premise to experience management (Iversen et al. 2006). School has the responsibility to help children with introvert behaviour.

In my Phd project I will enter a classroom and study how a particular teacher deals with this in her ordinary classroom activities, and the research question is:

How does the teacher adjust her education to ensure pupils with introvert behaviour, and how does she reflect on what she is doing?

The teacher in question teaches a class with 56 pupils, and the pupils are in the second grade in the elementary school (7 years old). One of these pupils, a girl, has withdrawn behaviour. The teacher and the girl’s parents have allowed me to enter the class.

The overall theoretical framework at the study is sociocultural theory.

Befring, E. (2002). Problematferd og forebygging. [Problem behaviour and prevention]. In: E. Befring & R. Tangen, Spesialpedagogikk. [Special Education]. (p. 153-179). Oslo: Cappelen Akademisk Forlag AS. Bruch, M.A. & Belkin, D.K. (2001). Attributional Style in Shyness and Depression: Shared and Specific Maladaptive Patterns. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25(3), 247-259. Feilberg, J. & Mjaavatn, P.E. (2000). De stille jentene med spesielle behov, får de den hjelpen de trenger? [Silent girls, do they recieve the help they need?] Bedre Skole, [Better School] 1, p. 17-31. Guðmundsdóttir, S. (1997/2011). Narrativ forskning på pedagogisk praksis. [Narrative research on education] In: T. Moen & R. Karlsdottir (red.): Sentrale aspekter ved kvalitativ forskning. [Cental aspects in qualitative research]. (p. 45-69). Trondheim: Tapir Akademisk Forlag. Iversen, L.G, Lønberg, L.M. & Oskal, S. (2006). De usynlige elevene – teori og bakgrunn. [Those invisible pupils – theory and background]. Spesialpedagogikk, [ Special Education] 8, p. 22-30. Lund, I. (2008). ‘I just sit there’: shyness as an emotional and behavioural problem in school. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 8(2), 78-87. Lund, I. (2004). Hun sitter jo bare der! Om innagerende atferd hos barn og unge. [She just sit there! About introvert behaviour in children and adolescents]. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.