Chronotypes, Disruptive Behaviour, and Schedules in Classrooms - ‘Morningness’ and Psychomotor Agitation

Oct 15, 2026

Empirical evidence from a cross-sectional design links chronotypes to classroom disruptive behaviour among young Portuguese learners. The study examined 140 children in grades 1 to 4 using a child chronotype questionnaire and teacher-reported Conners Scale (reduced version) for psychomotor agitation, inattention, and opposition. Morning-type children showed higher agitation and impulsivity than evening peers. No semester differences emerged for Portuguese and Mathematics after controlling covariates such as age and gender. Parental qualifications shaped the chronotype-disruptive behaviour relationship, informing school policy and family supervision needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Chronotype and predisposition in 24-hour cycles

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1454](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1454) Chronotypes, Disruptive Behaviour, and Schedules in Classrooms: ‘Morningness’ and Psychomotor Agitation Sandra Figueiredo1 • This empirical cross-sectional study explored the effect of chronotypes on classroom behaviour. One hundred and forty young Portuguese children, from 1st to 4th grades, were examined regarding their chronotype and disruptive behaviours occurring in the classroom. Three groups of chronotypes (i.e., morning, intermediate and evening) were identified. The Chronotype Questionnaire for Children evaluated the chronotypeof children, and the Conners Scale – reduced version for teachers (selfreport) identified the frequency of the following behaviours in the classroom: psychomotor agitation, inattention, and opposition. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of regression parameters showed that morning children are more agitated and impulsive compared to evening peers. Concerning academic achievement, students did not differ in the subjects Portuguese and Mathematics for both semesters when considering chronotype and controlling for covariates such as age and gender. Parental qualifications appeared as an influential covariate for the chronotype effect in disruptive behaviour. This evidence addresses the contributions of school policies and family supervision regarding young children: children have earlier evening chronotypes; chronotypes impact specific disruptive behaviours in the classroom; parents’ education influences the sleep habits and behaviours of children in school; parents and schools need more support and evidence to correctly identify children’s chronotypes, to understand how chronotype and sleep habits affect behaviours in the classroom, and to recognise that more studies should be replicated attending to the contextual factors of health outbreaks and war conflict. With reliable data, this study highlights concerns and novelties for education and psychology. Keywords: chronotype, school policy, disruptive behaviour, young children, psychology 1 Department of Psychology, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões (UAL); Psychology Research Centre (CIP) of UAL; Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Lisbon, Portugal; [sfigueiredo@autonoma.pt](sfigueiredo@autonoma.pt). Kronotipi, moteče vedenje in urniki v učilnicah:»jutranjost« in psihomotorična agitacija Sandra Figueiredo • Ta empirična presečna študija je preučevala vpliv kronotipov na vedenje v razredu. Sto š[tirideset majhnih otrok od 1. do](tirideset majhnih otrok od 1. do) 4. razreda na Portugalskem je bilo vključenih v raziskavo o njihovih kronotipih in pojavljajočem se motečem vedenju v razredu. Opredeljene so bile tri skupinekronotipov (jutranji, vmesni in večerni) . Z vprašalnikom o kronotipu za otroke je bil ocenjen kronotip otrok; s Connersovo lestvico – zmanjšano različico za učitelje (samoocena)– pa je bila ugotovljena pogostostnaslednjih vrst vedenja v razredu: psihomotorična vznemirjenost, nepozornost in nasprotovanje. Multivariatna analiza variance in analiza regresijskih parametrov sta pokazali, da so jutranji otroci v primerjavi zvečernimi vrstniki bolj agitirani in impulzivni. Kar zadeva učne dosežke, se učenci pri predmetih portugalščina in matematika v obeh semestrih ob upoštevanju kronotipa in nadzoru kovariant, kot sta starost in spol, niso razlikovali. Kvalifikacije staršev so se pokazale kot vplivna kovarianta za učinek kronotipa pri motečem vedenju. Ti dokazi obravnavajo prispevke šolskih politik in družinskega nadzora v povezavi z majhnimi otroki: otroci imajo zgodnejši večerni kronotip; kronotip vpliva na določeno moteče vedenje v razredu; izobrazba staršev vpliva na spalnenavade in vedenje otrok v šoli; starši in šole potrebujejo več podpore in dokazov za pravilno prepoznavanje otrokovih kronotipov, razumevanje, kako kronotip in spalne navade vplivajo na vedenje v razredu, in zaprepoznavanje, da je treba pono

FAQs

How was chronotype measured in the study?

Chronotype was assessed using a Chronotype Questionnaire for Children, identifying morning, intermediate, and evening chronotype groups.

Which disruptive classroom behaviours were evaluated by teachers?

Teachers reported the frequency of psychomotor agitation, inattention, and opposition using the Conners Scale—reduced version.

Did chronotype affect academic achievement in Portuguese and Mathematics?

No. Students did not differ in Portuguese and Mathematics across both semesters when considering chronotype while controlling for covariates such as age and gender.

Oct 15, 2026

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