34 | PART B. SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. 5. No. 2. March, 2013 B. Özer. Avoidance strategies used by educators in difficult classroom situations. International Journal of Academic Research Part B; 2013; 5(2), 34-43. DOI: 10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-2/B.5 AVOIDANCE STRATEGIES USED BY EDUCATORS IN DIFFICULT CLASSROOM SITUATIONS 1 Bayram Özer Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay (TURKEY) ozer.bayram@gmail.com DOI: 10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-2/B.5 ABSTRACT Professional skills are aimed to gain to student teachers in education faculty which are the most important parts of teacher training program. Professional teaching knowledge courses contain these skills. We can classify skills aimed to gain in courses as performing teaching, classroom management, guiding and evaluation. Semi- structured interview form was used depending on instructors’ opinions to determine avoidance strategies of teachers to manage and deal with undesired behaviors when they have lack of knowledge about any subject during course in this research. Face to face meeting was made by 16 instructors in total; 9 of them from Education Faculty and 7 of them from Economics and Administrative Sciences Faculty in Mustafa Kemal University with the interview form improved by researcher. Datas obtained from interviews were analysed with thematic analysis method and presented in tables. Key words: Classroom Management, Avoidance Strategies, Difficult Classroom Situations 1. INTRODUCTION Teaching is a profession, some have natural tendency, but some are willing for this area. However, some professional skills need to be improving. On the other hand, some do not obey the rules of this role. We cannot know whether the most efficient tachers are the ones who devote himsel to his profession. Whenever people are asked about their best teacher, they talk about feelings more than how much they learn something from them. The efficacy of teacher is important in terms of diologue with colleagues, interpersonal relationships and creating positive atmosphere in class for teaching in addition to efficient teaching (Wubbels, Levy & Brekelmans, 1997, akt. Stronge, Tucker ve Hindman, 2004: 29- 30). It will be useful to see teachers as a driver who takes his passengers to station and meets their requirements when we mention about classroom management and student success. Wonderful driving skills are not important when the car does not move. Likewise, wonderful teaching skills are not important when the students are aimless and out of control in class. Both experienced and inexperienced teachers see classroom management as a subject which has high priority and gains importance when considered from this point of view (Sokal, Smith & Mowat, 2003, akt. Stronge, Tucker ve Hindman, 2004: 63, 64). Teachers can learn the tricks of this profession by watching other teachers, reading about subject and thinking over what is happening in their classes. Practice in class discipline was determined as a key factor on enhancing efficient learning environment in a questionnaire which was applied to sub-level secondary schools in 24 countries with administrators and teachers in Teaching- Learning Research of OECD (TALIS) in 2009 and the importance of relationship with teacher self- efficacy was emphasized. Teachers’ appreciating responsible behaviors of students and discussing the effects of their irresponsible behaviors on their friends are crucial for controlling irresponsible students. On the contrary, teacher aggression containing strategies such as group punishment, reprehending students or abasing them show increase on negative attitudes towards learning in classroom and have relationship with negative students behaviour (Lewis vd. 2005, 2008, akt. Lewis, Roache ve Romi, 2011: 53). Classroom management can be described as measures taken by teacher to organize and reveal collobration between teacher and students (Emmer and Stough, 2001: 103). In other words, it can be described as method and principal necessary in creating and maintaining environment for learning and teaching (Duke, 1979; akt: Emmer and Stough, 2001: 103). No matter how to describe it, but the main point in question for teacher is to take measures and apply them to control discipline during classroom management. The aim here is to creat the best learning environment. Although teachers try to direct undesired student behaviors to creat the best learning environment according to the rules of classroom management, applying the best and the most appropriate method is not possible forever. Especially, inexperienced teachers’ selecting and practicing the best method cannot be possible always in terms of classroom management. In such situations teachers sometimes can use evasive strategies to save face or overcome the problems for the moment. These methods may be sometimes both useful and useless. 1 This study was supported by Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Mustafa Kemal University (Project Number: 1207M0106).