Teachers’ Classroom and Instructional Management, and Students’ Learning Engagement

This study examined the classroom and instructional management practices of new and experienced teachers and their relationship with students’ learning engagement in selected public secondary schools in Cortes District, Division of Bohol, during School Year 2026–2027. Anchored in the Classroom Management Scripts Model, Instructional Clarity Framework, Multidimensional Student Engagement Framework, and Huberman’s Teacher Career Cycle, the study employed a quantitative comparative-correlational research design. Respondents comprised 15 new teachers, 46 experienced teachers, and 278 students, totaling 339 participants. Data were gathered using a researcher-modified, validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and independent-samples t-tests. Results revealed consistently high classroom and instructional management practices among both teacher groups, with no statistically significant differences. Classroom management and instructional management exhibited a strong positive relationship (r = 0.724, p < 0.001), whereas neither classroom management (r = 0.040, p = 0.760) nor instructional management (r = −0.062, p = 0.635) was significantly associated with students’ overall learning engagement. Students taught by new teachers demonstrated significantly higher overall and emotional engagement (p = 0.017), while behavioral and cognitive engagement showed no significant differences. The study concluded that teaching experience alone does not determine management effectiveness and that favorable management practices do not necessarily correspond to higher student engagement. A school-based professional development program emphasizing mentoring, collaborative lesson planning, peer observation, and instructional improvement was proposed. The study supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by promoting effective teaching, inclusive learning environments, and continuous professional growth. Its educational and institutional sustainability contribution lies in providing localized evidence to guide sustained professional development and improvements in students’ learning experiences.