Preparing Teacher Candidates in Classroom Management Prior to Entering the Teaching Profession

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the promise of a specialized curriculum designed to prepare general education teacher candidates to effectively implement classroom management strategies within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. Participants were 110 teacher candidates enrolled in a student teaching internship course. Fall participants (intervention group; n = 69) received the specialized curriculum that focused on implementation of classroom management strategies for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in concert with their internship; spring participants (comparison group; n = 41) did not. All participants completed pre- and postquestionnaires, which included measures assessing knowledge of classroom management principles, knowledge of ADHD, and self-efficacy. Measures of satisfaction with the curriculum were also collected. Fourteen teachers (seven intervention group, seven comparison group) participated in follow-up observations in their first teaching semester. Results demonstrate significant differences in knowledge of classroom management principles and ADHD between groups from pre- to postinternship, and high levels of participant satisfaction with the curriculum. Preliminary observations reveal greater use of evidence-based classroom management strategies in the intervention group. Implications for further program development and educator preparation as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.