Investigation of the communication skills, professional seniority, school stage and gender as predictors of teachers' classroom management styles

Abstract

This study aimed to test the impacts of communication skills, professional seniority, school stages and gender as predictors of teachers' classroom management styles. Survey and correlation research designs were used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 209 teachers from different subject fields. Classroom Management Styles Scale and Communication Skills Scale-Adult Form were used to collect data in the study. The data obtained were mainly analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Regarding the results of the study, when the teachers' levels of classroom management style scores were examined, it was determined that the most preferred classroom management style was Authoritative style, followed by Authoritarian and Laissez-faire styles, respectively, and the least used classroom management style were Indifferent. Also, it was found that teachers' general communication skills are high. The regression analyses revealed that while Basic Skills and Self-Expression and Active Listening and Non-verbal Communication variables were significant predictors of authoritative classroom management, professional seniority was the only significant predictor of authoritatian classroom management, and Basic Skills and Self-Expression and Willingness to Communicate variables were significant predictors of Indifferent classroom management. However, none of the variables were significant predictors of Laissez-faire classroom management style.