Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

            In order to gain a better understanding of teachers’ beliefs about classroom management, it was necessary to explore the literature on the classroom management in broad terms. Classroom management is not a gifted skill upon some teachers. Even though there are some teachers managed to adapt with the classroom management technique easily, the skills acquired still needs to be developed through training and many years of teaching experience (Bosch, 2006). A number of studies have found that one of the keys to success in teaching is the ability of teachers to manage classroom and organize instruction (Brophy, 1998; Cakmak, 2008; Emmer, Evertson & Worsham, 2000). Research also shown that many scholars have revealed the review on classroom management whereby many teachers have ranked classroom management as their major concerns to be mastered during teaching-learning processes (Rosas and West, 2008). Classroom management is the major concerns among junior teachers regarding aspect of teaching (Laut, 1999). In addition, junior teachers report that poor classroom management has results in teachers transferring to other school or becomes the significant barriers to professional success (Rosas and West, 2008). Beginning teachers also revealed that classroom management is one of the major challenges in teaching –learning process (Unal and Unal, 2012).

Even for experts and experienced teachers, classroom management is the skills that obtained through years of teaching. Senior teachers spent much time on discussing problems related to the behaviour of students (Laut, 1999). Experienced teachers indicate one of the major goals that needs to be accomplished in the first year of teaching is classroom management (Unal and Unal, 2012) Whether you are the beginning teachers who are just learn to teach or you are the senior teachers considered as experts and masters in your field, the classroom management skills should be the major aspects to focus on. It will determine how much your students learn and how effective you are as a teacher (Martin and Baldwin, 1994). School administrators identify poor classroom management as a major reason for low evaluation and why teachers are not hired (Unal and Unal, 2012). Thus, according to Landau (2001), classroom management strategies have been referred to “the most valuable skills set a teacher can have”.

In order to understand more on classroom management, the specific term on “classroom management” should be understood. Scholars generally described classroom management as the efforts taken by teachers to manage the classroom activities, including learning, social interaction and student behaviour (Burden, 2005; Good and Brophy, 2006). Classroom management refers to the teacher’s efforts in order to establish and maintain as a conducive environment for teaching and learning (Brophy, 1986). Research indicates that classroom management is important and crucial to ensure academic success (Martin, Yin and Mayall, 2006). Thus, creating the best learning environment in classroom should become the priority for teachers in order to achieve the goals.

According to Doyle (2006), “classroom management revolves around teachers’ and students’ attitudes and actions that influence student behaviours in the classroom”.  On the other hand, classroom management can be defined as two level of management which are the prevention of problems and give response when problem do occur (Savage and Savage, 2009). Studies also found that teachers action in their classroom have double impact on student achievement whereby the large part of teachers concerns are involves the classroom management (Marzano and Morzano, 2003). In addition, the development of quality relationship between the students and the teachers in the classroom is one of the key to achieve effective and efficient classroom management (Marzano, Marzano, and Pickering (2003).  

Teacher is a complex profession with multi tasks that cannot be mastered at one time (O’Ferral, Green and Hanna, 2010). Analysis from research conducted has revealed that “years of experience’ in teaching plays an important role on teachers’ beliefs  on classroom management whereby it will determines the possible style chosen by teachers (Unal and Unal, 2012). A number of studies have found that classroom management is possibly the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers thus causes pressure to many junior teachers and lead the teachers leaving the profession (Johns, McNaughton and Karabinus, 1989). Besides that, junior teacher also state that classroom management is one of their biggest challenge in teaching fields (Savage and Savage, 2009). Studies also indicates that junior teacher prefer to share the responsibility of classroom control included developing rules, focusing on behaviour and student’s feeling as well as what environment can alter the students attitude (Martin and Baldwin, 1992). According to Fideler and Haskelhorn (1999), junior teachers revealed that poor classroom management skills (82%) and disruptive students (57%) are the most significant barriers to professional success. Furthermore, a research conducted shown over 6000 teachers with less than three years of experience, 40 % of the respondents stated that either they are prepared or not prepared at all in the area of classroom management (Clevelend, 2008).

In line of years of teaching experience, research also indicates that teachers tend to change their belief as they gain experience throughout teaching  process and they are able determine the style of class control (Unal and Unal, 2012). Even though junior teachers have undergo a series of training and well prepared in traditional programs complete coursework in education,  study shown that junior teachers found that discipline and classroom management are two areas they fear most in the first year of teaching (Smith, 2000).

However, senior and experienced teacher indicates that classroom management needs to be accomplished in the first year of teaching (Savage and Savage, 2009). Generally, experienced teachers tend to combine years of service with skills and strategies in managing their classroom setting (Doyle, 1986). As the teachers became more experienced, they tend to master and become experts in controlling both behaviour and instructional management (Unal and Unal, 2012).  Furthermore, experienced teacher are said to be less hesitant, more flexible and easily adapt to new classroom environment (Kerrins and Cushing, 2000). In addition, experienced teachers usually have the ability to organize tasks and well manage in the classroom matters in order to maintain the dynamic nature of classroom (Hagger and McIntyre, 2000). Previous studies also indicates that teachers who had many years of teaching experienced had high quality relationship with students and facing with fewer discipline problems, rule violations and other related problem compared to junior teachers (Marzano, Marzano and Pickering, 2003). Numerous studies indicate that teachers tend to change their classroom management beliefs based on the level of experience they gained throughout the years of teaching (Unal and Unal, 2012). Thus, it is important to understand the role of teachers’ experiences on classroom management beliefs (Unal and Unal, 2012). In order to understand more on teachers’ beliefs in classroom management, the year of teaching experienced should be considered as the major factor to differentiate between what junior and senior teacher’s beliefs about classroom management.

References

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Brophy, J. (1986). Educating teachers about managing classrooms and students. Teaching and Teacher Education. 4(1), pp. 1-18

Burden, P.R. (2005). Powerful classroom management strategies: Motivating students to learn. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin Press

Clecelend, R. (2008). New teachers’ perceptions of their preparation. (Doctoral dissertation, Western Michigan University, 2008). ProQuest Information and learning Company, UMI No. 3303464

Doyle, W. (2006). Classroom organization and management. In M.C.Wittrock (Ed), Handbook of Research on teaching (3^rd ed). New York: Simon and Shuster

Emmer, E.t., Evertson, C. & Worsham, M.E. (2000). Classroom management for secondary teachers (5^th ed.) Allynn and Bacon, Boston.

Fideler, E., & Haskelhorn, D. (1999). Learning the ropes: Urban teacher induction programs and practices in the United States. Belmont, MA: Recruiting teachers

Good, T.L. & Brophy, J.E. (2006). Looking in classroom (8^th ed.). New York: Longman

Hagger,H.. & McIntyre, D. (2000). What can research tell us about teacher education? Oxford Review of Education, 26(3-4), pp. 483-495

John, F.A., Macnaughton, R.H. & Kabinus, N.G. (1989). School discipline guidebook: Theory into practice. Allyn and Bacon, Boston

Kerrins,J. & Cushing,K. (2000). Taking a second look: Expert and novice differences when observing the same classroom teaching segment a second time. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education. 14(1), pp. 5-24

Landau,B.M.(2001). Teaching classroom management: a stand-alone necessity for preparing new teacher. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA

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Marzano, R. J., & Marzano, J. S. (2003). The key to classroom management. Educational Leadership, 61(1), 6–13.

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 

O’Ferrall, B.M.E. Green, A & Hanna, F. (2010). Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting change through relationship. Midle school Journal, 41(4), pp. 4-11

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Unal,Z. & Unal, A. (2012). The Impact of Years of Teaching on the Classroom Management Approaches of Elementary school teachers. International Journal of instruction, 5(2), pp. 41-48