INFLUENCE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION ON BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PRACTICES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

Effective classroom management plays a crucial role in fostering a positive learning environment and ensuring student engagement and academic success. This study explored public school teachers’ classroom management practices and their connection with graduate education, focusing on behavior management and the learning environment. A descriptive-correlational research design was utilized, involving forty-two (42) public school teachers selected through total enumeration sampling. Data were gathered using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The findings indicated that teachers exhibited a high level of classroom management practices in both behavior management (mean = 3.56) and the learning environment (mean = 3.83), with an overall mean of 3.70, interpreted as “Strongly Agree,” suggesting strong competence in maintaining discipline and creating supportive learning environments. Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed in classroom management practices when grouped according to graduate education status (F = 4.01, p = 0.026). A significant relationship was also identified between graduate education and classroom management practices (r = -0.41, p = 0.007), although the relationship was moderately negative. The study concludes that graduate education is significantly associated with classroom management practices, although the nature of this relationship warrants careful interpretation and further research. It is recommended that teachers continue pursuing graduate education while applying theoretical knowledge in classroom settings, and that educational institutions consider enhancing professional development programs that integrate theory and practice.