Coping styles as mediators of teachers' classroom management techniques

This study reports the relationships between coping styles of Australian teachers and the classroom based classroom management techniques they use to cope with student misbehaviour. There is great interest internationally in improving educational systems by upgrading the quality of teachers' classroom management. However, the relationship between the way teachers generally cope with the stresses associated with student classroom misbehaviour and their choice of specific management techniques to cope in the classroom is an essential but under explored factor in this area of teacher professional development. Examination of the association between teachers' classroom management techniques and coping styles may provide knowledge needed to improve teachers' management. A sample of 515 teachers completed questionnaires assessing teachers' use of six classroom management techniques and 19 generic coping strategies which provide support for three coping styles, Social Problem Solving, Passive Avoidant Coping, and Relaxation. Results showed that coping styles play a significant role in mediating the relationship between teachers' concerns about student misbehaviour and their use of classroom management techniques. Implications for teacher educators and further research are discussed.