Perspectives Regarding Classroom Management Style: Differences between Elementary and Secondary Level Teachers

This study represents a continuation of research efforts to further refine the Inventory of Classroom Management Style, an instrument designed to measure teachers' perceptions of their classroom management beliefs and practices. "Classroom management" is an umbrella term describing teacher efforts to oversee a multitude of activities in the classroom including learning, social interaction, and student behavior. The primary objective of this study was to investigate differences between the classroom management styles of elementary and secondary level educators. A second objective of the study was to further substantiate the construct validity of the Inventory of Classroom Management Style (ICMS). Data were collected utilizing the ICMS, the Locus of Control Scale for Teachers (LCST), and the Impression Management sub-scale of the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF). The subject pool was composed of 257 certified teachers; 23 percent certified at the elementary level, 62.3 percent certified at the secondary level; of this pool, approximately two-thirds were female. Elementary teachers scored significantly less interventionist on the ICMS than their secondary level counterparts. However, results revealed no significant differences between elementary and secondary level teachers regarding locus of control or the Impression Management sub-scale of the 16 PF. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/ND)