Research-Based Behavior Management Practices: Assessing Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Schoolteachers worldwide continue to encounter challenging behavior in their classrooms. As a result, teacher preparation programs are receiving more scrutiny regarding how well they are preparing their teacher candidates to effectively address challenging behavior especially in line with the principles of whole schooling. The overarching purpose of this research was to identify the extent to which pre-service teacher preparation programs in eight African countries provided training in classroom and behavior management. The study was predicated on the premise of accentuating the scope of the teacher preparation experience in addressing critical research based features of classroom and behavior management. Curricula from 11 teacher preparation institutions from across eight African countries were collected and analyzed to explore the extent to which the programs were addressing research-based practices in classroom and behavior management in the preparation of their teacher candidates. Results indicated that only three of the programs offered courses that were specific to behavior and classroom management and only one of the programs addressed some of the specific research-based practices—and very minimally so. This study highlights the need to further examine teacher preparation programs in the different countries with the goal to incorporate and promote research-based practices in behavior and classroom management.