A comparison of the classroom management approaches of the class teachers implementing ?constructivist learning approach? and those of the branch teachers not implementing this approach (A case study in Gaziantep)

In this study, the classroom management approaches of the class teachers implementing ?Constructivist Learning Approach? and those of the Turkish branch teachers not implementing this approach was compared.It was inevitable that there would be some problems at the beginning in the application of the curriculum based on the ?Constructivist Learning Approach? being criticized to be implemented without enough pre-studies. In addition, the way how a curriculum is implemented and its success, first of all, depends on to what extent the teachers have attitudes and skills in this sense. For, no matter which learning approach it depends on, that the teachers personalize the implementations of the curriculum is one of the factors affecting its success. The more necessary a qualified curriculum is for a qualified education, the more necessary qualified teachers are for a qualified curriculum. It is even a must.Ministry of National Education started to implement the curriculum based on the ?Constructivist Learning Approach? in the first stage of primary school (1st ? 5th grades) in the academic year 2005 ? 2006. On the other hand, they decided to implement the curriculum based on the ?Constructivist Learning Approach? step by step in the second stage (6th ? 8th grades) by means of starting with the 6th grades in the academic year 2006 ? 2007 and implementing it every two academic years.In this study, in the academic year 2005 ? 2006, the approaches to classroom management in the Turkish lessons between the class teachers implementing the curriculum based on the ?Constructivist Learning Approach? in the 1st ? 5th grades of primary school and the Turkish branch teachers who have not yet started to implement the curriculum based on the ?Constructivist Learning Approach? in the 6th ? 8th grades and who is stil implementing the ?Behaviourist Learning Approach? was compared and the effects of these approaches on the primary school teachers? attitudes towards classroom management was analyzed. This study, carried out in the transition period when these two approaches are being implemented, provided a chance to compare these two approaches.In the study, 1600 participants, 200 of whom were class teachers, 200 of whom were Turkish branch teachers, 600 of whom were first stage students (3rd ? 5th grades), and 600 of whom were second stage students (6th ? 8th grades), were delivered the related instrument. In addition, 15 class teachers, 15 Turkish branch teachers, an one student of each, 30 teachers and 30 students in total, were asked about their thoughts. Classroom observation and document analysis were also conducted. For this reason, the study had both a qualitative and a quantitative aspect.In the analysis part of the study, first, the arithmetical means and the Standard deviations of the data were calculated in order to find out whether there is a difference between the scores the participants? got from each part of the ?Constructivist Learning Approach Instrument?. In order to determine whether the variances were distrubuted homogenously, Levene?s Test for Equality of Variences were used. In the T-test, the sig(2 tailed) scores were analyzed by means of implementing Equal Variances Assumed in the case of the variances? being homogenous, and Equal Variances Not Assumed in the case of their not being homogenous. Whether there was a significant difference between the groups was seen in this way. In a similar way, in the case of the variances? being homogenous, One Way Variance Analysis was used to test whether there was a significant difference between the participants? responses to the items in the instrument in accordance with the socia-economic levels of the schools. In the case of the variances? being not homogenous, Test of Kruskall Wallis H was used instead of the variance analysis. In addition, Test of Mann Whitney U was conducted to see between which groups the difference was.As a result, the comparison of the attitudes towards the classroom management of the class teachers who implemented ?Constructivist Learning Approach? in the Turkish lessons and that of the branch teachers not implementing this approach revealed that, in general, in respect of classroom management applictions, and in specific mean, in respect of Classroom Organization, Learning Climate, Learning Duration and its Evaluation, Using Educational Technology and Learning Environment out-of-School, Multiple Intelligence Areas, Learning by Implementation, Questionning Learning, Student Growth, the former were superior to the latter.The data gathered from the qualitative research were supported by the data gathered from such quantitive research tools as observation, interview and document analysis.