Abstract:

This paper will report the results of a research study whose objective was to explore the attitudinal perceptions of student teachers in a teacher education program towards the use of peer support groups as a strategy to aid the development of their classroom management skills.

Given the need for foreign language teachers to enhance their classroom management skills and the compelling evidence from specialized literature that calls for classroom management strategies closely aligned with the immediate realities of the school context, this study employed peer support groups as a strategy to help pre-service teachers address classroom management incidents, with the collaboration of cooperating teachers and practicum supervisors.

Following an exploratory qualitative design, the study involved foreign language student teachers, cooperating teachers, and practicum supervisors from an accredited foreign language teacher education program at a public Colombian university. Initially, participating student teachers completed an online questionnaire and a brief interview to collect demographic information and determine whether classroom management posed a challenge in their practicum experience. Subsequently, they engaged in a series of peer support group sessions and semi-structured interviews. The role of the cooperating teachers and practicum supervisors was primarily focused on the peer support group sessions. During these sessions, and based on previously collected incidents from the student teachers, the cooperating teachers and practicum supervisors shared their insights on classroom management and offered advice on how to address the issues presented in the incidents, drawing from their area of expertise and teaching experience. The research strategies were replicated in tandem across a maximum of three cycles, with some review and reflection in between.

In response to the research question: "How does the analysis of classroom management incidents through peer support groups influence the development of classroom management skills in teacher candidates of a teacher training program?", three categories emerged. The first was termed "Reflection on one's own and others' experiences"; the second focused on "Equipping with strategies to handle similar situations in the future"; and the third was related to "Awareness and strengthening of their role and identity as teachers." Regarding the second research question: "How do student teachers in a teacher training program perceive peer support groups as a strategy to support the development of their classroom management skills?", the study revealed positive reactions from the teacher candidates towards the strategy, as well as its relevance and usefulness for their teacher education.

The findings of this study helped address a concern raised by scholars in the field regarding the need to provide pre-service teachers with more classroom management strategies during their practicum experience. Additionally, they contributed to shifting the dominant approach adopted by student teachers, which is to establish rules and reinforce the consequences of negative behavior, as reported in other studies. This study addressed the issue of classroom management broadly and highlighted the use of peer support groups as a robust strategy for tackling classroom management challenges.

Keywords:

Classroom management, teacher education, peer support groups.