Students' Perceptions of Classroom Management Practices of Native and Local Foreign Language Teachers in a Turkish University: A Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Being closely related to culture, classroom management is a main component of effective teaching. In this study, the perceptions that Turkish university students have of classroom management practices of teachers from their own culture and other cultures (North America and England) are explored. The main purpose of the study is to understand how the cultural backgrounds of students and teachers are reflected in the expectations and practices regarding classroom management. The study was designed as a qualitative instrumental case study. The data were gathered through classroom observations and student focus groups from 53 students from the School of Foreign Languages of a large state university with respect to the classroom management practices of five native and five local teachers. The results revealed that students' perceptions of classroom management practices of local and native teachers differed in terms of classroom discipline, teacher-student relationships, and pedagogical practices. Students' expectations of discipline and teaching styles also varied in relation to their cultural backgrounds. Overall, the findings of this research are important in showing the interaction of classroom management with culture and in providing data for future qualitative research.