Factors Influencing the Evolution of Vocational Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Related to Classroom Management during Teacher Education - Article 8

Oct 15, 2026

Two studies examine how Swiss vocational teachers’ classroom management beliefs and practices evolve through a teacher education program, and what factors encourage or impede teacher change. Study 1 uses a longitudinal survey and Study 2 relies on interviews, with longitudinal analyses conducted using a multilevel approach. Results show classroom management develops toward beliefs and practices promoted by the program. Prior experience and motivations moderate change, while influential people and alternative strategies shape teachers’ evolution. The study also highlights alignment between teacher education and teaching context and the impact of school norms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

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Introduction

Rationale for the Study

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 4 | Article 8 | | --- | --- | | 2018
Factors Influencing the Evolution of Vocational Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Related to Classroom Management during Teacher Education
Céline Girardet
Swiss federal institute for vocational education and training, [celine.girardet3@gmail.com](celine.girardet3@gmail.com)
Jean-Louis Berger
Swiss federal institute for vocational education and training, [jean-louis.berger@sfivet.swiss](jean-louis.berger@sfivet.swiss) | | Recommended Citation Girardet, C., & Berger, J. (2018). Factors Influencing the Evolution of Vocational Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Related to Classroom Management during Teacher Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (4). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss4/8](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss4/8) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss4/8](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss4/8) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Factors Influencing the Evolution of Vocational Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Related to Classroom Management during Teacher Education Céline Girardet Jean-Louis Berger Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET) Switzerland. Abstract: Two studies were conducted to investigate the evolution of 71 Swiss vocational teachers’ classroom management as a result of the inputs of a teacher education program, and to identify the factors that encouraged or impeded teacher change. Study 1 consisted of a longitudinal survey, and Study 2 of interviews. Longitudinal analyses were performed using a multilevel approach. This mixed-method study revealed that vocational teachers’ classroom management evolved towards the beliefs and practices encouraged by the teacher education program. Years of prior teaching experience and motivations for choosing teaching were found to moderate teachers’ evolutions. Moreover, influential people, providing alternative strategies for teachers to try in their classrooms, and questioning teaching practices, were found to influence teachers’ change. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of the congruence between teacher education and the teaching context as well as the influence of school norms on teacher change. Introduction Rationale for the Study Classroom management, as described by Evertson and Weinstein (2006), refers to“the actions teachers take to create an environment that supports and facilitates both academic and social-emotional learning. [ . . .] It not only seeks to establish and sustain an orderly environment so students can engage in meaningful academic learning, it also aims to enhance students’ social and moral growth”(p. 4) . Classroom management has been shown to be a central issue for teachers, and particularly for beginning teachers, who report poorer classroom climates than experienced teachers (Jensen, Sandoval-Hernandez, Knoll, & Gonzales, 2012) . It has been shown that novice teachers’ picture of good teaching included being able to motivate students, which is one of the aims of classroom management (Weinstein, 1989) . Classroom management is also considered a key competence for experienced teachers, as shown by the Teaching and Learning International Survey (OECD, 2009), which revealed a reported need for professional development in classroom management. When studying classroom management, it is important to consider both the beliefs and the practices of teachers. Indeed, a substantial body of research suggests that beliefs are concomitant with practices (e.g., Buehl & Beck, 2015; V. Richardson, 1996, 2003; Tillema, 2000) . On the one hand, research has conceptualized teacher beliefs as one of the main sources of teaching practices (Nespor, 1987; Pajares, 1992), as well as one of the main filters of teacher change (Hollingsworth, 1989; Holt-Reynolds, 1992; Mansfie

FAQs

What research questions does the article address?

The article investigates how Swiss vocational teachers’ classroom management beliefs and practices evolve due to teacher education inputs, and which factors encourage or impede teacher change.

How were the two studies designed?

Study 1 is a longitudinal survey, while Study 2 uses interviews, and the longitudinal analyses apply a multilevel approach.

What moderates teachers’ evolution in classroom management?

Years of prior teaching experience and motivations for choosing teaching moderate how teachers’ beliefs and practices evolve.

Oct 15, 2026

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