Conflict management strategies in coping with students’ disruptive behaviors in the classroom: Systematized review

INTRODUCTION: Classroom management is leading the class by setting the class schedule, organizing the procedures, supervising the learners’ progress, and predicting and solving their problems. Students’ disruptive behaviors and classroom management are the most important challenges and concerns of the teachers. The current review aimed to analyze the classroom management techniques and strategies used to cope with the students’ disruptive behaviors. METHODS: The present study was systematic review. The articles in Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus databases and Google Scholar search engine were searched using the keywords of classroom management, students’ disruptive behaviors, difficult students, and confrontation strategies during 2000-2017. A total of 31 articles were included in the study for analysis. RESULTS: The results showed all the techniques and strategies used and teachers’ challenges in dealing with students’ disruptive behaviors were included in conflict management strategies, which were classified into three categories, i.e. cooperative and problem solving strategies, avoidance strategies and punishment strategies. Moreover, the studies mostly emphasized the use of cooperative and problem solving strategies, and the most highlighted methods were making effective mutual communication with students to correct their negative behavior, training and preparing the teachers for dealing with the students’ disruptive behaviors and using various teaching methods and approaches based on the classroom situation. CONCLUSION: To cope with the challenges of students’ disruptive behaviors, the teachers can use different strategies. Also, sufficient knowledge and skills about teaching, familiarity with the relevant and influential disciplines in dealing with students and making effective communication in the class can be helpful in developing and enjoying more effective skills in classroom management.