Beyond behaviour: Teacher educator pedagogical reasoning and relational classroom management in initial teacher education

Policy reforms in Australia and internationally have renewed emphasis on classroom management in Initial Teacher Education (ITE), often positioning effective practice as the acquisition of technical strategies and observable competencies. Drawing on Biesta's theorisation of teaching as phronetic practice, this self-study examines how one teacher educator's pedagogical reasoning shaped the development of professional judgement within an Australian primary ITE program. Reflective journals, mentoring records, and program artefacts were analysed to explore how pedagogical decisions were designed, enacted, and refined through teaching about teaching. Findings revealed a tension between relational and procedural interpretations of classroom management and highlighted pedagogical approaches that supported PSTs' development of professional judgement. The study contributes an empirical account of the pedagogical work involved in making professional judgement learnable within ITE and highlights how teacher educator reasoning shapes opportunities for PSTs to engage with the complexities of classroom management practice.