Opinions of lecturers regarding management of classrooms where Turkish is taught as a foreign language at an official Turkish teaching center

Abstract

In this qualitative study, opinons of lecturers working at an official Turkish teaching center at a government university regarding management of classrooms where Turkish is taught as a foreign language were determined through focus group interview technique; and the results were acquired by means of descriptive analysis technique. The present study indicates that participant lecturers were incompetent in terms of theoretical information regarding class management theoretical knowledge. Participant lecturers were incompetent in terms of classroom management skills. While participant lecturers were managing classrooms, they presented behaviors for establishing a positive learning environment, maintaining productive utilization of learning-teaching time, motivating students, and establishing an effective communication environment. Management of the classrooms where Turkish was taught as a foreign language was affected by physical factors, factors relevant with the characteristics and applications of the lecturer, factors relevant with student needs, interests and characteristics, social factors and factors relevant with the attitude and operation of management of the institution. Classroom management was affected by nationality, cultural and religious differences among students. Participant lecturers have not determined classroom rules in their courses and they do not find classroom rules necessary. There were several unwelcomed student behaviors experienced in classrooms. The lecturers interfere in these unwelcomed behaviors through the methods which can be associated with the reactive classroom management model. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.