Graduate Teaching Assistants (Gtas) Are Increasingly Relied Upon to Teach Sections of The

Classroom Management Training 1

STUDENT

Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TRAINING

nca06_proceeding_120947.doc

Creating Sites for Classroom Management Training: Connection and Action

within Basic Course Training Programs

Kevin R. Meyer

Ohio University

Paper submitted competitively to the Basic Course Division, National Communication Association Convention, San Antonio, TX.

Abstract

Communication departments increasingly rely on graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to teach the basic communication course; but, since many basic course training programs fail to adequately address classroom management issues, most GTAs enter the classroom unprepared to confront student misbehaviors. However, literature suggests that by incorporating classroom management issues into training programs, GTAs will be better able to establish the instructional climate of the classroom and confront student misbehaviors. GTAs who had not received classroom management training (CMT) were given a survey in order to guide the creation of a video of sample student misbehavior scenarios and other instructional materials. A second cohort group of GTAs completed the survey twice following the implementation of CMT; once early in the semester and again at the end of the semester following CMT. Results indicate that GTA confidence in the ability to manage misbehaviors was increased as a result of CMT. Additionally, the results indicate greater satisfaction with the basic course training program for GTAs who received CMT compared to those GTAs who did not receive CMT.

Creating Sites for Classroom Management Training: Connection and Action

within Basic Course Training Programs

Communication departments have increasingly relied upon graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to teach the basic communication course, particularly at large research institutions (Buerkel-Rothfuss & Gray, 1990). Many GTAs arrive on campus eager to facilitate learning experiences for their students. Unfortunately, as the term begins, these high expectations can easily be transformed into disappointment and frustration if GTAs face student misbehaviors in the classroom (Golish, 1999). Student misbehaviors are those actions that GTAs perceive to interfere with learning (Richmond & Andriate, 1982) or disrupt the climate of the classroom. Importantly, research indicates that college students engage in more frequent and severe misbehaviors with GTAs than with faculty members (Golish, 1999; Luo, Bellows, & Grady, 2000; Roach, 1991). Moreover, the nature of the basic course itself poses unique challenges for GTAs, since student presentations and group projects create potential areas for additional classroom management problems. Classroom management includes actions taken by instructors to establish order, engage students, or elicit cooperation (Emmer & Strough, 2001).

Lack of teaching experience, coupled with limited classroom management training (CMT), may set many GTAs up for a troubled initiation to teaching. Training programs to prepare GTAs for, what are often times, their first teaching experience vary greatly across university campuses (Buerkel-Rothfuss & Gray, 1990; Roach, 1991, 2002). What training GTAs receive often ignores, or only addresses briefly, classroom management issues. Previous studies have failed to address the effects of classroom management instruction for GTAs on student misbehaviors. In fact, assessment of CMT is absent in previous literature. Thus, it stands to reason that CMT is often inadequate or, worse yet, lacking altogether. If GTAs are not properly prepared for situations that arise in the classroom, their reaction may be counterproductive and inadvertently increase the likelihood of future student misbehaviors. Since one of the primary goals of classroom management is to establish a climate that is conducive to student learning (Luo et al., 2000), CMT instruction for GTAs is critical (Hunt, Novak, Semlak, & Meyer, 2005). Roach (1991) argues that it is necessary to teach “GTAs about the power dynamics of a classroom, especially in terms of how power and its use affects not only classroom management but also learning” (p. 179). Therefore, deficiencies in training present a potential danger to both GTAs and students, since the quality of instruction as well as student learning may suffer.

Student Misbehavior

Student Misbehaviors in the College Classroom

Although classroom management in college is perceived to be easy, it is actually difficult because students use new and sophisticated resistance strategies that they did not use in high school (Burroughs, Kearney, & Plax, 1989). Some college students see the classroom as a place to express their anger and frustration (Downs, 1992). Students can exhibit a variety of misbehaviors in the classroom. Students will often refuse to concede to teachers the right to assume power, be openly reluctant, or even openly defiant (Kearney, Plax, Hays, & Ivey, 1991). For example, students may engage in passive protesting using speech or nonverbal behaviors to show resistance or defiance (Owen, 1984). Blank or expressionless nonverbal messages from students are often symptomatic of displeasure with instruction or the instructor (Burroughs et al., 1989). For example, students use a variety of problematic persuasive strategies, such as active resistance, passive resistance, blame, avoidance, reluctant compliance, deception, disruption, refusal to comply with instructor requests, challenges to instructor power, hostile defensive reactions, and revenge (Burroughs et al., 1989), and may even use retaliatory persuasive strategies (Golish, 1999). While some problems may occur in isolated incidents, others may persist throughout the semester. For GTAs, who are not prepared to deal with student misbehaviors, classroom management may prove to be extremely challenging.

Student Misbehaviors in the Basic Course

The nature of the basic course presents several classroom management concerns. Problems can range from relatively minor disruptions, like a student walking in tardy during another student’s speech, to more severe disturbances, like a student challenging the instructor’s authority in front of other students. Since student interaction is stressed in the basic course, requiring students to listen to others’ ideas and defend their own, a variety of ethical concerns may arise in basic course classrooms. Because the evaluation of speeches and writing assignments is by nature somewhat subjective, students may contest grades in the basic course. Plagiarism is one known form of student misbehavior that poses a particular problem for basic course instructors. Instructors in public speaking classes may falsely assume that students who deliver speeches also researched and wrote those speeches; likewise, students may find it easy to rationalize that speech plagiarism is not cheating, since they deliver the speech in person (Holm, 2002). Alarmingly, Holm (2002) found that more than half of public speaking students reported engaging in one or more acts of cheating. Certainly, a variety of student misbehaviors unique to the basic course, as well as more common misbehaviors, await GTAs. Unfortunately, few studies have sought to explore misbehaviors in the basic course. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the specific forms of misbehavior that occur in the basic course.

Student Misbehaviors in GTA Classrooms

GTAs are particularly vulnerable to student misbehavior and face many obstacles in the college classroom that tenured faculty members do not. GTAs tend to be closer to the age of the students enrolled in the basic course than tenured faculty, thus leading to “substantial problems in classroom management” (Roach, 1991, p. 179). One explanation for these problems is that students often perceive GTAs as having less authority and control over their classes than tenured faculty (Golish, 1999; Roach, 1991). In fact, students perceive themselves as capable of exerting more power with GTAs than with professors (Golish, 1999). Some GTAs will experience classroom management problems due to level of experience and prior training. Lou et al. (2000) found the years of teaching experience are significantly related to the number of classroom management problems and concerns reported by GTAs. One explanation for this, according to Plax, Kearney, and Tucker (1986), is that beginning instructors “may be limited in their understanding of available control techniques” (p. 34). Another explanation is that the age of GTAs may influence their perceptions of students. Sprague and Nyquist (1989) posit that beginning GTAs may view students as a threat to their authority, and even backlash against students, with legalistic approaches to classroom policies, who are seen as taking advantage of GTAs because of their age. As a result, GTAs may face numerous classroom management problems. The frequency and severity of misbehavior is likely to be more prevalent and intense in a GTA’s classroom, due to their age, experience, and lack of CMT.

GTAs typically enter their first teaching experience with pre-formulated expectations for how college students are likely to behave; perhaps, in some cases, even including the notion that college students do not misbehave. These expectations are often unrealistic (Golish, 1999), typically resulting in reality shock during their first teaching experience (Veenman, 1984). At some point, nearly all GTAs will confront misbehavior; how GTAs choose to address it, in large part, determines the classroom climate. Without CMT, GTAs may find it difficult to pinpoint the motivation of students who misbehave and find methods of combating misbehavior. Students may test the limits of GTAs in an effort to determine how far they can go with misbehaviors. Roach (2002) notes that, “a big classroom issue, especially for new TA instructors is that of classroom management” (p. 211). For some students, misbehavior may be a direct result of real or perceived vulnerabilities in the GTA’s teaching style, while other students misbehave regardless of the particular instructor. If GTAs are unprepared to deal with these incidents, their teaching experience may prove to be disastrous.

Basic Course Training Programs

Shortfalls in Current Training

Unfortunately, the manner in which training occurs is neither uniform nor effective, ranging from comprehensive and lengthy programs that attempt to prepare GTAs to teach course content to ones that promote a trial-by-fire approach. The lack of CMT further complicates matters, since basic course training programs neglect, or do not allow sufficient time, to introduce GTAs to classroom management concepts and practices (Roach, 1991), more often than not concentrating on curriculum content. Additionally, GTA training programs are not uniform, and vary in length with most lasting less than one week (Buerkel-Rothfuss & Gray, 1990). Thus, training programs vary significantly across and within universities.

New Directions for Training

Training programs should incorporate instructional principles along with content knowledge. Roach (2002) notes that GTAs “do not have to learn in a hit-or-miss fashion” (p. 209). Luo et al. (2000) argue that it is essential to provide GTAs “with comprehensive training before they begin their classroom duties” thus helping GTAs “become effective classroom managers is of urgent necessity” (p. 374). No GTA “can be left on his or her own to sink or swim in the complex and changing demands of college teaching” (Luo et al., 2000, p.374). The solution, however, is not as simple as telling GTAs to be proactive. “Exposure is not enough; GTA supervisors must plan and implement training sessions in a way that exemplifies the very principles that are being taught” (Roach, 2002, p. 221). Importantly, GTAs may not implement classroom management strategies naturally, unless they are first made aware of the tactics that are available to them. Roach (2002) argues that, “understanding must make way for practice” (p. 207). Thus, CMT should focus on the application of classroom management principles.

A variety of materials and information can be incorporated into CMT. Roach (1991) recommends that “training programs for GTAs (and professors alike) should include not only research findings concerning teacher compliance-gaining strategies, but also material designed to enhance GTA use of these strategies in their instructional practice” (p. 187). Training GTAs to anticipate misbehaviors is essential. Luo et al. (2000) urge that training programs provide information about classroom management issues that a beginning teacher is likely to face, so they “can anticipate potential problems and identify successful strategies for averting such problems” (p. 377-378). For example, brainstorming solutions can help to resolve classroom management problems (Downs, 1992). These techniques can be incorporated into CMT, and tailored specifically to concerns inherent in the basic course.

Classroom Management Reduces Student Misbehaviors

If training programs better prepare GTAs through CMT, a reduction in student misbehaviors is likely to occur. In fact, misbehaviors are preventable if instructors incorporate positive questioning techniques, use motivational messages, attend more often to positive rather than negative feedback, hold students accountable, and increase students’ time on-task (Kearney et al., 1991). If GTAs are properly prepared for what misbehaviors to expect, the likelihood of reacting appropriately to the incident and defusing the situation is greater; however, if GTAs are not prepared for what to expect, there is a strong possibility that disruptive situations may become inflamed. A gap exists within the format of current training programs, in so far as classroom management techniques and principles are largely underemphasized or ignored. The particular strategies GTAs employ determine their eventual success or failure in resolving student misbehaviors. Teachers should be prepared before they ever enter the classroom to anticipate and respond to misbehaviors (Pena & Amrein, 1999). Arming GTAs with information regarding their effect on student behavior can serve to prevent many problems before they begin. GTAs typically have not taken courses specializing in classroom management or educational philosophy and pedagogy. Gomberg and Gray (1999) argue that providing instructors with insight into their management style is the key to helping new instructors move through critical incidents with students. This insight can be provided through the instructor’s own reflection or through feedback provided by supervisors following observations of the instructor’s classroom.

Classroom Management

The Learning Curve of GTAs

Effective classroom management is a learned skill that is cultivated over time. A teacher’s style typically develops over time, thus requiring both experimentation and reflection (Dinham, 1996). Many teachers learn from their experiences during the first semester and then later change their approach to the classroom (Veenman, 1984). GTAs, however, are at a disadvantage, since they do not have such experiences to fall back on. If novice instructors experience problems with classroom management, they may experience emotional burnout long before they learn to be flexible and implement effective classroom management. The idea of confronting student misbehaviors, while also learning to teach the curriculum, poses a daunting task. The tone and climate established early in the semester determines the eventual success or failure of the instructor’s classroom management system. The first day is important in creating a precedent for effective classroom management, since it sets the tone for the rest of the semester (Davis, 1993). GTAs often learn from experience that if they do not start strong, it is difficult to alter the classroom climate later.