hrvatski

Characteristics of classroom management styles in the context of the culture of educational institutions

Characteristics of classroom management styles in the context of the culture of educational institutions Classroom management styles (authoritarian, democratic, emotional, and indifferent) determine the characteristics and behaviors of teachers in the classroom and they encompass the overall institutional context. For these reasons, emphasis should be placed on the correlation between classroom management styles and the students’ learning styles. Latest research shows that, based on the means of processing information in the process of teaching, students demonstrate a preferred learning style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), which requires the adaptation of teaching methods and strategies to their needs, and thus the creation of a learning and teaching culture. Using the method of participant observation of the teaching process in 10 classrooms (N = 10 teachers and 230 students of younger school age), the aim of this research was to analyze the characteristics of teachers’ most effective classroom approaches that contribute to the orientation towards different combinations of learning styles. With the help of participant observation, we analyzed educational processes that are focused on interactional relations between teachers and students, student-oriented teaching and learning methods, individualized teaching activities, and elements of classroom atmosphere that contribute to the effectiveness of teaching. The results point to the characteristics of the democratic style of classroom management as the most appropriate style oriented at the students’ individual needs and abilities. The visual learning style is predominant for most students as it provides them with unambiguous, clear, and understandable teaching content. In conclusion, the significance is given to raising the awareness of the importance of reflection on classroom management styles which influence the diversity of student learning styles that should be integrated into a unified whole directed towards achieving the outcomes of the educational process.

teacher, classroom management styles, learning styles, teaching, classroom atmosphere

Rad je prezentiran u sklopu projekta "Kultura odgojno-obrazovne ustanove kao čimbenik sukonstrukcije znanja" Sveučilišta u Rijeci (broj potpore: 13.10.2.2.01