ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating classroom management approaches of primary school teachers and exploring if their management approaches are consistent with the constructivist curriculum.The sample consisted of 265 primary school teachers working in Kastamonu. Data were gathered from the participants via Classroom Management Inventory developed by the researcher. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. Mixed Design ANOVA (within subjects and between subjects) was employed to investigate the dominant classroom management approach that teachers use and to explore the effect of some variables on classroom management approaches of teachers.Results of the study indicated that primary school teachers prefer to use studentcentered management approach rather than teacher-centered approach. That is teachers’ management approaches are consistent with the constructivist instruction. Furthermore, some background variables were found to affect the classroom management approaches of teachers. A significant difference was found in classroom management approaches of teachers with respect to teaching experience, branch, type of certification and average number of students teachers have in their classes while no significant difference was found with respect to gender variable.

Key words: classroom management, constructivist curriculum, student-centered approach, teacher-centered approach, primary schools

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Few aspects of education have generated as much concern as classroom management and organization. They are among the most frequently addressed topics for teachers in service; they head the list of concerns of school administrators and have recently attracted more attention from teacher educators and researchers because a teacher’s ability to effectively manage the classroom and to organize instruction are basic components of teaching (Evertson, Emmer, Sanford & Clements, 1983). Moreover as classroom management strategies have a strong potential to positively influence student achievement and learning, they are paramount concern for many teachers, especially novices and teachers who are contemplating new instructional approaches for the first time (Delong & Winter, 1998).

There are many studies indicating that classroom management is one of the crucial factors that influence learning. For example, in their study, Wang, Heartel and Walberg (1993) identified classroom management as being te first in a list of important factors that influence school learning. Also, Marzano and Marzano (2003) reached the same results with Wang and his colleagues (1993) by identifying classroom management as the most important factor influencing school learning. Ben (2006) states that effective classroom management strategies are significant to a successful teacher’s delivery of instruction. This statement of the researcher explains the reason why classroom management is important. Effective classroom management prepares the classroom for an effective instruction which is crucial for the progress of learning.

The term classroom management has been defined differently by various educators throughout the history. In most general terms, classroom management refers to the
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actions and strategies that teachers use to maintain order (Doyle, 1986). Martin, Yin and Baldwin (1998) define classroom management as a broader and comprehensive construct that describes all teacher efforts to oversee a multitude of activities in the classroom including learning, social interaction and students behaviors. Classroom management constitutes three broad dimensions; person, instruction and discipline. (Martin & Baldwin, 1992)

For many years, traditional approaches were dominant in teaching and learning practices in Turkish schools. Traditional approaches were mostly based on the behavioral principles and laws of learning. (Goffin, 1994). The child was often viewed as the recipient of knowledge and teacher had the control over the students and subject matter. As a result of behavioral approach to instruction, teachers preferred behavioral classroom management techniques that consistent with their way of instruction. The behavioral model requires strong intrusion and management techniques on the part of the teacher (Garrett, 2005). Teacher is the leading person and therefore, has the responsibility of all ongoing issues in the classroom; from students’ motivation to misbehaviors.

Over the past years, cognitive theories’ reflections have been observed on education and the curriculum; and instruction has been affected by the principles of constructivist approach all over the world (Brophy, 1999). As stated by Elen, Clarebout, Leonard and Lowyck (2007), with the advent of constructivism, the educational settings have been enriched by the concept of ‘student-centered learning environment’. This new concept is used to describe curriculum and instructional settings in which students’ learning activities take place. The student-centered orientation emphasize the individual value of the student and attempts to help him develop more positive social- emotional aspects of his behavior. Classroom organization integrates student needs, interests, experiences, and personalization into learning activities. Classroom activities are designed to facilitate self-expression, to encourage consideration of the viewpoint of another, to increase creative acts, to develop purposeful listening and to encourage critical thinking. Student-centered learning environments may be in various forms. Bereiter and Scardamalia (cited in Elen et al., 2007, p. 1) for instance, distinguish between ‘messing around’, ‘hands-on
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learning or guided discovery’, ‘learning through problem solving’, ‘curiosity driven inquiry’, and ‘theory improvement inquiry’. While student-centered learning environments differ in form and purpose, they also share common basic features. In most so-called student-centered learning environments learners are presented with an authentic task in order to induce relevant learning experiences. For instance, rather than presenting information on global warming to students in a lecture, students are asked to make a report on the changing weather conditions in their own region.

As a result of this change in the curriculum and instructional approaches, teachers should adapt their approaches to classroom management. Rogers and Freiberg (1994) suggest that such a shift requires teachers to adopt a student-centered rather than teacher-centered orientation toward classroom management, which features shared relationship and community building. The role of teacher changes from a control agent, who is dominant in the classroom, makes all the decisions and demands respect from the students into a guide who facilitates students’ learning, encourages students’ efforts and is open to discussions. According to the categorization of Martin and Baldwin (1992), the teachers implementing behavioral techniques are more controlling and interventionist while the teachers implementing constructivist techniques should be interactionist and non-interventionist.

Such a transition, however, will only be successful when the main actors, i.e., teachers and students, understand and agree with the keystones of so-called ‘studentcentered learning environments’ (Elen et al., 2007). The transition period of curriculum surely necessitates adaptations of learners’ and teachers’ roles in the learning environment as well as in the actual interactions. In order for the achievement of the objectives of student-centered classrooms -namely to enhance the students’ sense of responsibility and empower them; it is essential that teacher’s role change from an authoritarian figure to a guide. As Brophy (1985) states the teacher is a facilitator, not a prison warden, and the student is a well-intentioned, reasonable human being, not a wild animal in need of training or a weak individual dominated by emotions or compulsions that he or she cannot control.
Unless instructional and management strategies are explicitly integrated around a coherent set of learning goals, they can easily work at cross-purposes (Evertson & Neal, 2005). However, McCaslin and Good (1998) suggest that in many classrooms, there may be a fundamental mismatch between instruction and management with a curriculum based on constructivist principles of learning and a behavior control approach to management.

In accordance with the current trends in education throughout the world, the Elementary School Curriculum was revised in Turkey and designed based on the main principles of constructivist learning theory. This large-scale curriculum reform has been implemented since 2005 in primary schools in country level. This reform aimed at major changes in the primary school programs in all subjects and has been described as “constructivist education reform”. The existing subjects such as social studies, science, and mathematic are expected to incorporate into curriculum in terms of reforms’ framework (Güven & İşcan, 2006). In line with these changes in the curriculum, teachers have needed to adapt their classroom management techniques strategies into the learning environment while trying to achieve the constructivist curriculum objectives. Although there have been such a number of studies conducted to explore the effectiveness of constructivist curriculum since 2005 (Kalender, 2006; Çelebi, 2006; Ekinci, 2007), the number of studies conducted to examine the changes in classroom management strategies of teachers is very limited. Whether McCaslin and Good’s (1992) concern about a mismatch between instruction and classroom management is present in Turkish primary schools or not seems to be an important issue to be addressed in current situation. Therefore, the major purpose of this study is to identify classroom management approaches of primary school teachers. By identifying teachers’ classroom management approaches, it will be understood whether teachers’ classroom management approaches are conducive to implementation of constructivist approach in primary school classrooms or not.

1.2. Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to identify classroom management approaches of primary school teachers. Whether there is a consistency between the teachers’ classroom management approaches and constructivist approaches implemented in the or not is another question to be explored in the present study.