Correlation between behavioural management, instructional management, and the English proficiency level of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL)

Abstract

The study reported on here was aimed at providing statistical evidence on the correlation between instructional management and behaviour management, and how they relate to English proficiency level, gender, age, and years of experience among low proficiency teachers in Indonesia. The data were collected using a behaviour management and instructional management scale developed by Martin and Sass (2010). The data for the English proficiency level were obtained by administering a reading subtest from the sample test of the Preliminary English Test (PET) to 54 English teachers from Aceh, the western-most province in Indonesia. Information regarding age, gender, and years of experience were embedded in the PET. The correlations were analysed by using the Pearson coefficient formula for normal data, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient for non-normal data, and the Independent Sample T-test for the analysis of the gender category. The results show that there was a medium positive correlation between instructional management and behaviour management, which was statistically significant (r = .4121, p = .0019). Behavioural management skills were also significantly correlated, but in a negative direction with the level of English proficiency (r = .32, p = 0.018), as were instructional management skills (r = .35, p-value = 0.029). In addition, age was negatively correlated to instructional management skills, and no correlation was found for gender and years of experience.