A Comparative Study Between Primary and Secondary Teachers in Their Perception, Strategies of and Self-efficacy in Classroom Management

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine primary and secondary school teachers’ perception and plausible strategies of effective classroom management, investigate their self-efficacy in classroom management and explore their difference in how they perceive and manage classroom. Following a comparative case study design, the study interviewed one primary and one secondary school teacher in two public schools in Stockton, California. This study also adopted in-class observation, photograph and document review for sake of triangulation. The results revealed that both teachers held relatively high self-efficacy in classroom management and credited their efficacy to their teaching experience and professional development; both agreed that classroom management is challenging and tough for student teachers and first-year teachers. Regarding difference, the primary school teacher regarded classroom management as synonymous with student behavior control, while the secondary school teacher focused more on academic instruction and student engagement, hence their different strategies in managing classroom.