Classroom management in vocational schools – A multilevel analysis of class context, class composition, and classroom management

Given the lack of studies on the topic of classroom management in vocational schools, we used student ratings to analyze the factors that contribute to effective classroom management in vocational schools. We considered the relationships between class context, class composition, and classroom management in predicting undisrupted lessons and active learning time. Using a well-established model, we surveyed 3221 students from 215 classes across various courses in vocational schools. Multilevel regression analyses showed that one criterion of effective classroom management (i.e., undisrupted lessons) is associated with the proportion of male and immigration-background students in the class and the class context (i.e., the type of course). Overall, the findings suggest that classroom management processes are more important for effective classroom management than class composition or class context, even in vocational school settings.