Profiles of Classroom Management Across Five Countries: A Person-Centered Analysis of TALIS 2018 Data

Classroom management is a crucial aspect of effective teaching. However, little is known about how teachers’ approaches vary across countries. This study identified classroom management profiles using data from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey in five countries: Brazil, Canada (Alberta), Japan, Portugal, and South Africa. We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to four behavioral indicators, testing structural invariance and exploring associations with teacher characteristics and cultural dimensions. Three profiles emerged: Rule-Enforcing, Rule-Balanced, and Rule-Avoidant, which were structurally invariant across countries but varied in prevalence. Rule-Enforcing teachers reported the highest classroom management self-efficacy, whereas Rule-Avoidant teachers reported the lowest, with differences also observed in instructional and engagement efficacy. Cross-national variation in profile prevalence aligned descriptively with Hofstede’s cultural values, suggesting that cultural context shapes how universal management dimensions are enacted. These findings support the notion that classroom management is a universal construct shaped by significant national and cultural specificities.