Coping styles and satisfaction with classroom management techniques among Oman public school EFL teachers

The study examined the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors’ preferred coping styles and their levels of satisfaction with classroom management techniques. One hundred and sixteen (116) participants teaching in Omani public schools were administered a three-part questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analysis, including Pearson correlation coefficients and independent samples t-tests, were used to determine preferred coping styles and relationships between styles and satisfaction with classroom management. Results indicate participants were more likely to use the active coping styles of Relaxation and Social Problem Solving than Passive-Avoidance. This preference was not impacted upon by gender or grade taught (Cycle 1 or Cycle 2). Only a weak relationship was found between the use of Relaxation and satisfaction with classroom management, although no other statistically significant correlations existed. These findings can inform teacher training about the use of strategies associated with more positive coping styles, and for classroom management approaches in both Omani public schools and similar education contexts worldwide.