Classroom management competence of novice teachers in Vietnam

Abstract

This study focuses on determining the classroom management competences of novice Vietnamese teachers and aims to identify the differences in these competences among teachers with one to five years of experience. Questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with novice teachers from different provinces in Vietnam. The results showed that these novice teachers were not regularly performing the competences of classroom management in their classrooms. Additionally, teachers were more concerned with teacher-oriented activities, which were implemented more regularly than student-oriented activities. There were significant differences in the classroom management competences of teachers with experiences between one and five years. The teachers with five years of experience paid more attention to classroom management than those with one year of experience. They implemented the competences in their classroom practices more frequently, including building a learning environment, managing student learning activities, and managing student behavior. Finally, the study recommended the application of a social constructivist approach considering features of a Confucian heritage culture to develop a classroom management strategy to solve the remaining problems and help novice teachers manage classrooms effectively.