The Changes in Experienced Teachers' Understanding towards Classroom Management

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the views of experienced teachers related to the changes in their understanding of classroom management in general terms until today. In this study according to the information given by teachers, it is expected to contribute to the discussions about the development of classroom management, which is a key to student success. 23 teachers who have experience of 25 or more years in teaching profession voluntarily participated in this study in which qualitative research method was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interview form. Interview records were documented in data analysis. The obtained documents were analyzed and evaluated with content analysis method. According to the findings of the study, with teachers' acting as guides due to the changes in the student behavior and education program, it is revealed that the teacher's dominance decreases in the classroom and teachers have more difficulty in maintaining discipline in the classroom. In line with the research results, it is suggested that pre-service teachers needs to have teaching practice course which is taught by experienced and successful mentors for a long time to become teachers with better classroom management skills.