Pre-Service Teachers and Classroom Authority.

ABSTRACT This study examined the classroom practices of five pre-service teachers from three secondary schools in a large southeastern state. Through classroom observations, survey responses, reviews of reflection logs, and focus-group interview responses, we centered on the issue of developing classroom authority as a means to effective classroom management. Max Weber's three types of authority were used as the conceptual framework. Although the literature indicated Weber's legal/rational authority development was preferable as a means to establish authority within a sociological capacity, these student-teachers frequently employed traditional or charismatic authority in their classrooms, often resulting in mismanagement of classroom behavior and an unproductive learning environment. Throughout their student-teaching experience, the participants utilized some management skill recalled from college coursework, advice from mentor teachers, and the university supervisor. However, all participants invariably returned to traditional or charismatic authority as a primary component of classroom authority. INTRODUCTION Typically, pre-service teachers in traditional teacher-education programs enter a semester of student teaching with a fair amount of trepidation. Many of us have shared this experience. To take the learned concepts, strategies, methodologies and content and put them to effective use is challenging. To add to it, these pre-service teachers must employ their knowledge and skills into a dynamic environment that is the classroom (Huntly, 2008). The most massive hurdle to climb is often only tangentially related to content or even disciplinary methodology; classroom management and the exertion of authority within that classroom (Morales, 1 980). The means and the extent to which the pre-service teacher (and his mentor) desires to exert authority are often overlooked in the weeks leading up to the time in which the studentteacher is expected to take over full responsibility of his classes. Pre-service teachers often attempt to emulate their mentors regarding classroom management as the recency of their involvement provides considerable influence (Armstrong, 1976). They may develop management plans that hearken back to their limited college coursework that addressed management extensively (Seeman, 1994). For some, their preparation is inadequate and many of them fall into the trap of eschewing the knowledge gained from college preparation and from mentors in favor of taking on the role of the friendly or "cool" teacher with the hope that being liked by students will translate into getting respect which in turn might develop into an effective management plan. Those who do find mentors willing to provide practical strategies are often confronted with a style that may favor more traditional, teacher-centered means of classroom authority. Many pre-service teachers also tend to fluctuate in their management and authority style (Putman, 2009). Finding an appropriate style, which fits the development of a productive classroom and one's management disposition, is something often not realized until well into the student-teaching experience. Experienced teachers know a lack of focus on developing effective classroom authority will likely lead to frustration and minimal student achievement. Frustration will come from the pre-service teacher who will not be able to gain focus of his students when necessary to teach. Frustration will also come from his mentor teacher who sees her class disengaged and intellectually stagnant. Moreover, the university supervisor will see a teacher not prepared to face the challenges of teaching. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Creating a healthy learning environment is of paramount concern to most pre-service teachers (Morales, 1980), and appropriate development ofthat environment is a challenge faced during student-teaching. This study aimed to examine, through the experiences of five pre-service secondary social studies teachers, the challenges of establishing classroom authority in order to attain a healthy learning environment. …