Teachers’ Beliefs about Classroom Management (Poster 4)

• In Event: A Global Perspective of the Landscape of Research on Teachers’ Beliefs

Abstract

Purpose
Classroom management (CM)—the actions that teachers use to create an environment supporting students' social-emotional and academic learning—is vitally important. In addition to being a top area of concern for teachers (Perrachione et al., 2008), effective CM links to important student outcomes (Bear, 2014). Equally important is understanding teachers’ CM beliefs (CMBs) as these drive their actions (Author, 2017). The purpose of this presentation is to outline the breadth of teachers' CMBs and how that ultimately informs their implementation.

Perspective
CM as a pedagogical skill has evolved throughout the United States, various U.S. social, political, and economic structures have affected CM definitions. Amidst the evidence on CMBs is an underlying argument that CM needs contextual and cultural considerations (Martin et al., 2016). Unfortunately, in the United States where there is a teaching workforce representative of a homogenous population (U.S. Department of Education, 2016), teachers struggle to manage increasingly diverse classrooms (Weinstein et al., 2004). Countering this, culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM) allows teachers to develop as cultural beings amidst the consideration of the cultural background of students (Weinstein et al., 2004).

Mode of Inquiry
We provide a narrative review of the literature on CM beliefs and explore the evidence on CRCM to understand how this skill accounts for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout contemporary schools.

Findings
Several studies characterized teachers' beliefs about CM as focusing solely on student behavior (Arbuckle & Little, 2004). Through a behavioral lens, CM is often defined as rules, disruptions, and student misbehavior. Others found that teachers believe in managing the classroom by engaging students in content for academic learning (Bear, 2014; Kounin et al., 1970). This includes establishing a learning environment and facilitating students in cooperative learning activities (Brophy, 1988). Teachers with relational beliefs describe CM as a supportive community and emphasize the importance of cooperative learning activities (Emmer & Stough, 2001).
When enacted, CRCM leads to improved student beliefs of the learning ability, development of cultural competence (Cartledge et al., 2016), and improved student behavior (Larson et al., 2018).

Significance
Despite the importance of CRCM, preparation and support for this skill are noticeably haphazard. Preservice preparation offers training in foundational pedagogical and professional skills; however, there is vast variation in the quality of preparation. Teachers often share how they feel unprepared before full-time teaching because of insufficient preparation (Author, 2021), with concerns reflected in practice (Headden, 2014). Large-scale studies should investigate how teachers of various backgrounds and experience levels understand and enact CM. Additionally, dedication to finding a reliable and valid instrument would enhance the systematic understanding of teachers’ CMBs. Further, CM needs to be integrated into teacher preparation (Greenberg et al., 2014), focusing on shaping CMBs about their contextual components. Second, induction focused on CM, such as coaching, can aid teachers in designing and implementing appropriate practices to promote positive student behavior.

Authors

• Andrew Kwok, Texas A&M University

• Megan Svajda-Hardy, Texas A&M University

• Kathy Ogden Macfarlane, Texas A&M University