Factors influencing Indonesian teachers’ use of proactive classroom management strategies

Despite policy initiatives to ban use of corporal punishment, some teachers still use punitive classroom management strategies in countries like Indonesia. With the urgent need for teachers to use evidence-based strategies to address challenging behaviours, it is important to understand the factors that may predict teachers’ likelihood to employ proactive practices. This study examined the influence of teacher attributions for student behaviour problems, teacher self-efficacy in classroom management, and teachers’ background variables in their likelihood to use proactive classroom behaviour management strategies in a sample of 582 primary school teachers in Indonesia. Data was collected using self-report questionnaires. Regression analysis indicated that teacher self-efficacy in classroom management, teacher attribution to family-related factors, and teachers’ participation in teacher professional learning programmes predicted Indonesian teachers’ reported use of proactive strategies in managing student behaviour. Implications for future research and teacher professional learning programmes for Indonesian teachers are discussed.