Guidance/classroom management strategies of choice and teachers' perceptions of effectiveness in early childhood classrooms

The purpose of this research study was to examine the guidance/classroom management strategies being used in early childhood classrooms. In addition to examining these strategies, the researcher looked at whether or not the strategies were developmentally appropriate, how effective teachers believed these strategies to be, where the strategies were learned, and whether or not the strategies were mandated to the teachers. The findings suggest that teachers are using both developmentally appropriate and non-developmentally appropriate strategies in the classroom and that most teachers feel they are effective at using guidance/classroom management strategies. In addition, teachers with more professional development courses in classroom management used more developmentally appropriate strategies. Finally, approximately one-third of the teachers in this study were using at least one strategy mandated to them by someone outside of their classrooms. This information is important for teacher education programs as they prepare classroom management curriculum for beginning teachers and for schools as they identify professional development opportunities for their teachers.