"Don't Smile 'til Christmas": What Classroom Management Advice Do Preservice Teachers Find Most Salient?

• In Event: Classroom Management: Cross-Career Perceptions

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the classroom management advice received by pre-service teachers’ (PSTs), its source, and observed shifts. Drawing from open-response survey items of over 900 PSTs of pre-/post-survey design in one of the largest teacher preparation programs in Texas. Results indicate a broad focus on strategies and classroom environment coming mainly from career teachers and professors. However, a nuanced exploration indicates pre-survey responses focus on previous professors, post-survey responses focus on clinical teaching, all focused on more strategy-based information. Contributing to the literature, results have implications for teacher educators to embed evidence-based practices within coursework that are then mimicked in clinical teaching experiences, particularly given that PST knowledge appears to be able to change throughout the course of preparation.

Authors

• Megan Svajda-Hardy, Texas A&M University

• Andrew Kwok, Texas A&M University