Classroom Management Strategies and Student Engagement in Predominantly Urban Sri Lankan Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study

Classroom management is generally held to be a major requirement for effective teaching, although little evidence is available in South Asian secondary schools. The relationship considered in this study was between classroom management strategies and student engagement in Sri Lankan secondary schools based on a concurrent mixed-methods design. A questionnaire and open-ended questions were used to gather data on 121 teachers. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression were used to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis of qualitative responses, respectively. It was observed that the most common classroom management strategies were time management, clear expectations and rules, and positive reinforcement. The level of overall student engagement was moderate. Regression analysis revealed that time management, positive reinforcement, and group work were significant predictors of student engagement, each having 21.7 percent of the variance in student engagement. Qualitative responses also suggested disruptive behavior, large classes, and lack of student motivation were the most prevalent obstacles to engagement and active learning; professional growth and integration of technology were most frequently recommended. The research shows the significance of purposeful, enabling, and active classroom activities in encouraging student involvement and gives evidence, which is context-sensitive regarding teacher training in Sri Lankan secondary education.