EFL Teachers’ Classroom Management Practices: Predicting Role of Immunity

Language teacher immunity is conceptualized as a buffering mechanism protecting teachers amid the shifting sands of their teaching careers. Despite a noticeable interest drawn to this novel aspect of language teachers’ professional identity, scant attention has been paid to examining its potential roles in classroom management. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a quantitative analysis of the relationship between the immunity of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and their classroom management practices. Using a correlational design, 213 Iranian EFL teachers, 134 females and 79 males with the age range of 20 to 53, completed two electronic surveys of the Teacher Immunity Scale (TIS) and the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale (BIMS). The results indicated a significant negative relationship between EFL teachers’ immunity and their approach to classroom management. Moreover, multiple regression analyses revealed that openness to change and teaching self-efficacy dimensions of EFL teachers’ immunity were significant negative predictors of their classroom management practices. The results are discussed in light of the teaching context of Iran, and implications are provided for language teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers.