Classroom Management Needs of Novice Teachers

Despite decades of research in classroom management, issues contributing to novice teachers feeling unprepared to manage classrooms have not been fully explored. Teachers reported uncertainty with classroom management practices and requested clear expectations and additional support in classroom management (Cooper et al. 2018 Cooper, J. T., N. A. Gage, P. J. Alter, S. LaPolla, A. MacSuga-Gage, and T. M. Scott. 2018. Educators’ self-reported training, use, and perceived effectiveness of evidence-based classroom management practices. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth 62 (1):13–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2017.1298562.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Mireles-Rios, Becchio, and Roshandel 2019 Mireles-Rios, R.,. J. A. Becchio, and S. Roshandel. 2019. Teacher evaluations and contextualized self-efficacy: Classroom management, instructional strategies and student engagement. Journal of School Administration Research and Development 4 (1):6–17. doi: https://doi.org/10.32674/jsard.v4i1.1938.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). This study’s purpose was to describe how feelings of unpreparedness were shaped by teacher preparation in classroom management including suggestions for teachers and teacher mentors. Constructivism, social constructivism, and instructional scaffolding showed that active learning and practice with gradually reduced support increased classroom management autonomy (Bruner 2009 Bruner, J. 2009. The process of education: A landmark in educational theory. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Piaget 1932 Piaget, J. 1932. The moral judgement of the child. New York, NY: Routledge. [Google Scholar]; Vygotsky 1978 Vygotsky, L. S. 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar]). The qualitative descriptive case study utilized interviews with eight novice teachers from the California Bay Area and an analysis of transcripts and course descriptions to describe classroom management needs. Findings identified a lack of practical approaches, poor preparation for behavioral issues, and minimal evidence-based classroom management training. Researchers suggested actionable solutions for teachers and teacher mentors.