Competency in Classroom Management [microform] : Conflicts in Assessment / Ann D. Hungerman

Research studies focusing upon longitudinal assessment of instructional competency revealed that elementary school teacher education students rated themselves relatively high in classroom management, in contrast to reality and to literature on the subject of beginning teachers' performance. A study explored: (1) how classroom management skills are evaluated relative to other instructional skills, and teachers' and students' evaluations; (2) mastery of 10 individual classroom management skills and teachers' and students' perceptions of mastery; and (3) degree to which students improve in classroom management skills during student teaching, and teachers' and students' perceptions of progress. Student self-reports and cooperating teacher reports for 87 elementary school student teachers were examined. Pairwise comparisons and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data and answer the research questions. Results indicated that: (1) Teachers and students both rated classroom management relatively high compared to other instructional skills; (2) Teachers and students were in general agreement on the most easily mastered classroom management skills; and (3) Students rated themselves more modestly in the beginning of the student teaching experience and perceived themselves as making greater progress than did teachers, who ranked the student teachers higher at both points with less progress in the interim. (JD)