Unraveling teachers' attributional patterns: A person-centered approach to understanding classroom misbehavior

Teachers' attributions for student misbehavior have been widely studied. However, few studies have examined how teachers in school settings differ in their attributional reasoning using a person-centered method. This study investigates attributional patterns among Portuguese teachers and their association with professional well-being. Using data from 1.165 teachers in grades 1–9, a latent class analysis identified three distinct profiles: Broad Attributors, who endorsed multiple causes but reported low self-efficacy and job satisfaction; Restrained Attributors, who made few attributions and perceived misbehavior as less controllable; and Selective Externalizers, who focused on external causes (e.g., parents, policies) and reported high self-efficacy. Class membership was associated with teaching experience and the educational level taught. These findings highlight how attributional styles relate to teachers' emotional functioning and perceptions of classroom challenges. Implications for teacher education and professional development are discussed, particularly in supporting teachers' resilience and effective classroom management in the face of behavioral difficulties. • Three latent attributional profiles were identified among 1165 teachers. • Broad Attributors showed the lowest self-efficacy despite perceiving less misbehavior. • Selective Externalizers reported high efficacy and job satisfaction. • Attributional styles were invariant across educational levels. • Profiles offer insight for teacher support and professional development.