Evaluation of classroom management skills of elementary education department students in terms of various variables

The aim of this study is to evaluate the classroom management skills of faculty members who teach courses to students in the primary school teaching undergraduate program, from the perspective of various variables. In this context, students' evaluations of classroom management skills were examined in terms of time management, creating a democratic environment, activity planning, organization of the physical environment, personal competence, and managing problematic behaviors. Furthermore, it was investigated whether these skills differed based on students' age, gender, educational level, overall academic performance, the grade level at which they conducted teaching practice, success level in the Teaching Practice course, and whether they found this course/advisor beneficial. The study employed a quantitative research method and was designed as a relational survey model. The sample of the study consisted of 238 students enrolled in the Primary School Teaching Undergraduate Program at the Department of Primary Education, Faculty of Education, Trakya University, during the fall semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. For data collection, two instruments were used: a Personal Information Form and the Classroom Management Skills Scale. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, and LSD analyses. Students' evaluations of their instructors' classroom management skills differed significantly according to various demographic and academic variables. Age-related differences were found especially in the dimensions of structured rewarding and punishment, with students aged 23–24 evaluating these skills more negatively. Regarding nationality, international students rated the instructors' classroom management skills more positively in the dimensions of structured rewarding, encouragement, and respectful criticism compared to Turkish students. Significant differences were also observed in evaluations based on grade level, with upper-grade students generally providing more negative assessments, while lower-grade students gave more positive feedback. Additionally, significant differences were found in the structured rewarding dimension based on GPA, with students who had a BA-BB GPA evaluating more positively than those with AA or CB-CC. Whether students had taken the classroom management course and their opinions on its usefulness also affected their evaluations; those who found the course beneficial tended to evaluate more positively, while those who did not found it more negatively. Success in the Teaching Practice course also influenced perceptions, especially in the dimensions of encouragement and punishment. Finally, students' opinions about the most challenging learning outcomes in the Teaching Practice course also led to significant differences in their evaluations of certain classroom management dimensions.