Understanding Foreign Language Classroom Management Through Teacher Perceptions and Practices
Open AccessThis qualitative study explores the perceptions and practices of three secondary school French teachers of managing communicative foreign language classrooms. Data consisted of interviews and audio-recorded classroom observations to comprehensively capture teacher perceptions in terms of what they say, intend and do. Teacher participants were asked to describe and explain their understandings about communicative teaching, target language use and classroom management by considering their consistently observed classroom management practices. Teachers were first interviewed about their perceptions, then observed several times to document their management strategies. Their most consistently used classroom management strategies were isolated and presented to the participants as audio recordings where they then explained their intentions behind their specific practices. Data analysis employed thematic coding to identify the individualized and shared perceptions that most appropriately characterize how participants understand classroom management in the foreign language setting. The findings indicate that the participants understood the foreign language classroom to be a community and a heightened emotional space where their management practices strived to build social connectedness and counter negative student emotions. All participants employed both the target language and English in their classroom management, each citing different rationales for their language choices. The findings show that these teachers’ instructional and management efforts were often one and the same, particularly as it concerns social interaction in the classroom.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Harrington_gwu_0075A_15452.pdf | 2021-05-10 | Open Access |
|