Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes towards Teacher-directed Classroom Management Strategies in Inclusive Settings

Abstract

This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study aimed to explore
early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ attitudes (perceptions, feelings,
and practices) towards classroom management strategies in inclusive early
childhood education classroom settings in Lahore. Inclusive education is
presently an extensively debatable issue in the education field around the
world. Pakistan also lacks adequate provisions of inclusive education in
schools, and there are insufficient awareness and training for teachers about
inclusive education. However, proper awareness of inclusive education
among teachers has the potential to improve the student’s positive outcomes.
International theoretical literature suggests that ECE teachers often use
teacher-directed strategies in inclusive classrooms to achieve positive
outcomes for all students. This study used the phenomenological research
design, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 ECE
teachers who were working in inclusive ECE classroom settings in Lahore.
The interpretative phenomenological analysis of interview data was
conducted using NVivo 12 software to analyze and generate themes. The
findings highlight that most ECE teachers have positive attitudes towards
teacher-directed classroom management strategies that are considered
effective in managing inclusive early childhood education classroom
settings. However, they feel that the implementation of these strategies is
challenging because of the presence of students with disabilities in their
classes. This study provides a base for further research and, eventually,
interventions.