Pre-service Teachers’ Classroom Management in Secondary School: Managing for Success in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore pre-service teachers’ experiences relating to classroom management in secondary school. The accounts took place during the pre-service teachers’ practicum sessions. A semi-structured qualitative interview was conducted with two pre-service teachers to seek their responses relating to the challenges that they faced, how they managed the students in the classroom, and the suggestions they gave for improvement of classroom management. The findings indicated that pre-service teachers’ greatest challenges were from students’ disrespectful attitude towards the pre-service teachers and that students were unmotivated to learn. Among the methods that the pre-service teachers adopted were to create fun activities to attain the students’ attention during lessons, to be friendly with the students and to memorize students’ names. The pre-service teachers also exercised strategies of giving punishment for misbehaviours and giving rewards to positive behaviours. The findings also indicated the need of pre-service teachers to be prepared physically and mentally for the practicum session.