Teacher Student Relationships

10 Key excerpts on "Teacher Student Relationships"

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  Challenging the Teaching Excellence Framework

  Diversity Deficits in Higher Education Evaluations

  • Amanda French, Kate Carruthers Thomas, Amanda French, Kate Carruthers Thomas(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Emerald Publishing Limited

    (Publisher)

  Hunt, 2017 , p. 2), and should lead to a more nuanced understanding and experience of excellent teaching.

  Student–teacher rapport/relationships are central to effective learning (hooks, 2010 ; Hunt, 2017 ; Shaw, 2017 ).

  1

  Interpersonal relations within a learning community (student-to-student, student-to-teacher, teacher-to-teacher) create an inclusive, productive learning environment and foster for students a sense of belonging understood to affect retention, success and wellbeing (Haughton & Anderson, 2017 ; Thomas, 2012 ). This is particularly important for widening participation students who often experience alienation (Thomas, 2012 ) and black, Asian and ethnic minority students who may feel ‘out of place’ (Bhopal, 2018 , p. 92).

  Student Perspectives on Teaching Excellence: Rapport

  The research that informs this paper tells us student–teacher rapport can significantly influence a student's learning experience and outcomes (Wilson, Ryan, & Pugh, 2010 ). A recent study of student perception of teaching excellence found students place the relationship with their teacher over academic content (Lammers, Gillaspy, & Hancock, 2017 ). Rapport, in this sense, has been defined as ‘interaction with components of friendliness and care (Altman, 1990 )’ (Hunt, 2017 , p. 2), and is central to the initial development of any relationship (Smith, 2015 ). Vygotsky claimed that learning is enhanced by student–teacher connection, where deep learning is experienced as a collaborative journey (Clapper, 2015 ). However, teaching excellence as it is measured in the metrics that inform TEF does not capture the importance of the learning relationships understood as central to a positive learning experience (Wood & O'Leary, 2019

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  The Importance of Connectedness in Student-Teacher Relationships

  Insights from the Teacher Connectedness Project

  • Irene García-Moya(Author)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Palgrave Macmillan

    (Publisher)

  2005 ).

  Classrooms are unique developmental contexts for children, with teachers influencing students’ academic, social, and emotional development. As Hamre and Pianta (2010 ) have rightly observed, educational research has tended to approach the study of classrooms from an instructional point of view, whereas developmental science has mainly focused on the social processes operating in classroom dynamics. Nevertheless, what both educational and developmental researchers have in common is that they see student-teacher relationships as an essential element to understanding classroom and school experiences and their contribution to students’ positive development.

  This section provides an overview of the contributions of student-teacher relationships to wellbeing in schools, offering both a theoretical and an empirical perspective on this topic.

  2.1 Student-Teacher Relationships and Wellbeing Through a Theoretical Lens

  Numerous theories can help us understand why student-teacher relationships are important for students’ development and wellbeing (Davis, 2003 ; Wentzel, 2010 ). These theories focus on where the importance of student-teacher relationship stems from and on the defining features of high-quality student-teacher relationships. Table 1.1 provides an at-a-glance summary of the main theoretical approaches in the study of student-teacher relationships that are presented in the remainder of this section.

  Table 1.1 Main theoretical approaches in the study of student-teacher relationships

  Theoretical approach	Dimensions used to characterise student-teacher relationships	Examples of studies
  Attachment theory	Closeness, conflict, and dependency	Baker, Grant, & Morlock 2008 ; Koomen & Jellesma, 2015
  Parenting style theory	Responsiveness/nurturance and demandingness/control

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  21st Century Education: A Reference Handbook

  • Thomas L Good, Thomas L. Good(Authors)
  • 2008(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  628 68 T EACHER –S TUDENT R ELATIONSHIPS E LISABETH M. J EROME AND R OBERT C. P IANTA University of Virginia O ver the past 2 decades, teacher-child relation-ships have become a central focus of both theory and research, and this research has found that the relationships children form with their teachers play an important role in child development (see Pianta, 1999; Pianta, Hamre, & Stuhlman, 2003). Although the relation-ships that children form with their parents have long been accepted as having a tremendous impact on child develop-ment (e.g., Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978), only more recently have researchers begun to acknowl-edge that development is influenced by relationships that occur in a number of environments, including home, day care, and school. Subsequent research on teacher–child relationships demonstrates that teacher–child relationship quality is related to student achievement as well as social competence (e.g., Burchinal, Peisner-Feinberg, Pianta, & Howes, 2002; Howes, Hamilton, & Matheson, 1994). Developing an understanding of the nature of teacher– child relationships and how these relationships impact development is critical for researchers and practitioners in the field of education. The goals of this chapter are to provide an overview of (1) relevant theory that informs the study of teacher–child relationships, (2) factors that have been found to influence teacher-child relationship quality, (3) how teacher–child relationships change over the course of the school years, and (4) the effects that teacher–child relationships have on student development and outcomes.

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  Classroom Management That Works

  Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher

  • Robert J. Marzano, Jana S. Marzano(Authors)
  • 2003(Publication Date)
  • ASCD

    (Publisher)

  Along with the meta-analytic evidence of the importance of teacher-student relation-ships is the more perceptual evidence. To illustrate, in a study involving 68 high school students, 84 percent said that disciplinary C L A S S R O O M M A N A G E M E N T T H A T W O R K S 42 problems that occurred could have been avoided by better teacher-student relation-ships (Sheets, 1994). In their review of the lit-erature, Rosa Sheets and Geneva Gay (1996) note that many behavioral problems ultimate-ly boil down to a breakdown in teacher-student relationships: “The causes of many classroom behaviors labeled and punished as rule infractions are, in fact, problems of stu-dents and teachers relating to each other interpersonally” (pp. 86–87). Some researchers have postulated that this breakdown occurs because many teachers position themselves in a “we-they” relationship with students (Plax & Kearney, 1990). Researchers have tried repeatedly to iden-tify general characteristics of teachers that make them more likable to students and, con-sequently, more likely to have good relation-ships with students (e.g., Barr, 1958; Good & Brophy, 1995). These studies identify charac-teristics such as consideration, buoyancy, patience, and the like, but they do not focus on the dynamics of the teacher-student rela-tionship per se. However, a number of studies have focused either directly or indirectly on this dynamic. In terms of classroom management techniques, one of the most useful efforts to identify the dynamics of an effective teacher-student relationship is the work of Theo Wubbels and his colleagues (see Wubbels, Brekelmans, van Tartwijk, & Admiral, 1999; Wubbels & Levy, 1993; Brekelmans, Wubbels, & Creton, 1990). Building on the early work of Timothy Leary (1957), Wubbels and his col-leagues (see Wubbels & Levy, 1993; Wubbels et al., 1999) identify two dimensions whose interactions define the relationship between teacher and students.

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  Achieving Equity and Quality in Higher Education

  Global Perspectives in an Era of Widening Participation

  • Mahsood Shah, Jade McKay, Mahsood Shah, Jade McKay(Authors)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Palgrave Macmillan

    (Publisher)

  Murphy (2009) highlights that social relationships encourage a student in their transition to becoming a ‘fish in water’ as academic relationships support students’ academic and social integration into higher education. This is a notion that is also promoted by phase one of the What Works? Programme, which not only stresses the importance of the learning relationship in student success, but also recognizes the importance of building early and good social relationships with other students and staff (Thomas 2012). This is important because it not only supports transition but also promotes the perception of caring and reliable support which is crucial in underpinning pedagogical strategies that create a safe educational setting to stimulate and challenge students. Field and Morgan-Klein (2012) note that staff and student relationships provide both practical support and symbolic value, as they foster intellectual development and encourage a sense of belonging in higher education. Access to learning relationships might be hampered for some groups of students, which reduces their opportunities to be successful (Cousin and Cureton 2012). One of these barriers is students’ fear of stereotype threat. This is the students’ fear that the lecturer may apply a stereotype to them that is based on appearance and that they may behave according to the beliefs they hold about the stereotype, rather than from what they know about the individual (Cousin and Cureton 2012). This is partially supported by Frumkin and Koutsoubou (2013) who found that BME students in further education reported that if teaching staff demonstrated that they were knowledgeable about a student’s culture it led to them feeling an increased sense of inclusion. Cousin and Cureton (2012) reported that both lecturers and students highlighted that good learning relationships are crucial to student success

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  Handbook of Developmental Psychology

  • Jaan Valsiner, Kevin J Connolly, Jaan Valsiner, Kevin J Connolly(Authors)
  • 2002(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications Ltd

    (Publisher)

  Students who are more engaged in classroom activities seem to experience more positive and develop-mentally facilitative interactions with teachers, whereas passivity in students is often perceived as aversive, often leading teachers to feel incompetent or disliked by students (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Similar to relationships with parents, children's reciprocal effects on teacher behavior appear to magnify, rather than minimize, earlier interindividual differences (e.g. Skinner & Belmont, 1993). Among students' own characteristics, their selective partici-pation in interactions seems to be influential. Again, one can expect that children will choose to engage more in relationships characterized by high teacher involvement, mutual regard, similarity, and considerable developmental attunement to the developmental level of the child. In turn, quality of the relationship should influence teachers' own satisfaction and motivation in the classroom. Finally, reciprocal processes are not just confined to children's participation in existing relationships. At the high school level, but probably even earlier, students can find favorite teachers (or mentors) outside their pool of pre-assigned teachers. Thus, based on their own interests and preferences, children can choose whether to ask a specific teacher for help or advice (Nelson-LeGall, 1985; Newman, in press), and longer-lasting relationships can be established based on these (initially) more casual contacts. Relationships with Peers Because a child's peers are also children, peer relationship researchers have been most attentive to reciprocal processes. Sociometric researchers have focused much on detailing how children's own behavior contributes to their emerging status in the classroom.

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  Manifesto for Learning

  Fundamental Principles

  • Janet Collins, Joe Harkin, Melanie Nind(Authors)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • Continuum

    (Publisher)

  How Can We Enhance Learning Through Relationships? In the preface we asserted that one of the principles of good learning is that it takes place in the context of nurturing relation-ships. Whilst we dwell on the teacher-learner relationship as that most within the teacher's control, our fundamental principles apply to all relationships in the learning situation, that is, relation-ships amongst teachers and with other staff, including managers, relationships between learners and teachers and amongst learners. They also relate to relationships between the educational insti-tution and the learner's home and wider community. The chapter begins with a discussion of what we mean by nurturing relationships. We then identify why we believe good relationships are fundamental to learning and discuss how relationships are established and maintained, and the pedagogic consequences for a range of educational settings. Defining nurturing relationships It is generally accepted that learners learn most effectively when they feel valued and secure, trust their teachers and both understand and accept the full range of classroom demands. Therefore, a consideration of the social context and emotional climate for learning is important for all learners. Both the Warnock Report (DES, 1978) and the National Curriculum Council (1989) have argued that this may be particularly import-ant for learners with special educational needs. Using a 'transfor-mative' rather than a 'normative' lens (Ainscow, 1999) to view such learners, however, leads us to address this priority in ways that enhance learning relationships for everyone. Chapter 3 Enhancing Learning Through Relationships? 33 Wade and Moore's (1993) research emphasizes the import-ance of relationships (between learners, teachers and parents) for learning. It also emphasizes the frustration and anger experi-enced by learners with special educational needs when their specific needs are over-emphasized or ignored.

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  Co-creating Learning and Teaching

  Towards relational pedagogy in higher education

  • Catherine Bovill, Joy Jarvis, Karen Smith, Joy Jarvis, Karen Smith(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Critical Publishing

    (Publisher)

  20 20 Co-CREATINg LEARNINg AND TEAChINg 20 school education sector. If professional development for teachers in HE does not high-light the key role of relationships in teaching and learning, newer staff are not likely to hear about or prioritise the role of relationships in teaching unless they have a strong leaning towards relational approaches in other aspects of their lives. Even where teachers are aware of the important role of positive relationships in improved student outcomes, they may be reluctant to change their practice if building relationships with students each time they meet a new class is considered more demanding than other forms of teaching. Staff may also be unaware that relational pedagogy can be more rewarding. As stated earlier, relational approaches are dif ficult to capture. ‘ As we make the tran-sition from old ways of thinking toward a pedagogy based in reciprocal relationships, a truly deep listening, and a view of the student as powerful and capable, we find that we lack the words to describe this more democratic, open interdependence among faculty and students ’ (Drummond and owens, 2010 , p 163). And yet, unless we can explain what we mean by relational pedagogy, with practical examples of some approaches to use in class, and evidence of its impact, some staff are likely to be unwilling, or will not know how, to take the first steps in relational teaching. Relational teaching relies on acknowledging and welcoming student and staff emotions, interests and personal stories, so it is perhaps not surprising that some parts of hE resist this as inappropriate, unscientific or not serious enough. MacFarlane ( 2004 , p 122) reported in his work that some academics ‘ were less enthusiastic about bringing personal or emotional issues into the classroom… for these individuals, there is a firm line between the ‘academic’ and the ‘personal’ and a suitable distance should be maintained between the two’.

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  Educational Psychology Reader

  The Art and Science of How People Learn - Revised Edition

  • Greg S. Goodman(Author)
  • 2013(Publication Date)
  • Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers

    (Publisher)

  Often these are entirely disconnected from the relational processes of learning. Students become objects who must produce a certain amount and quality of products in order to graduate, and teach- ers become the managers of this production effort whose job security and salaries depend on how pro- ductive their students are. Current emphasis on proficiency exams in the United States, attempts to hold teachers accountable and make sure all students are able to produce the predetermined outcomes, only further enhance a product focus. A relational approach to education insists that we must focus on the process of learning and consider very deeply how we can help students, as social beings-in- relation-with-others, become knowers. While all are born with the possibility of becoming know- ers, we can only actualize that possibility if others, such as our family members and friends and schoolteachers, encourage and support our efforts. I am suggesting that schooling (and the larger process of educating) at its best is a personal, rela- tional process between a student and a teacher. I want to suggest, in agreement with Noddings, that teachers need to establish caring relationships with their students, in which students are active par- ticipants able to reject relationships with their teachers if the latter are not perceived as caring. While there are many false forms of caring, a genuine caring relationship is one that is good, not harmful to either the one-caring or the one-cared-for. 8 A caring relationship is based on treating the other with respect and dignity, so that a trusting relationship can develop between the two. In a caring relation- ship, teachers must focus their efforts on valuing and appreciating students’ needs and learning what Personal and Social Relations in Education | 379 their interests and desires are. Teachers should, as far as possible, suspend their own beliefs, feelings, and values and listen attentively and generously to their students.

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  Handbook of Psychology, Educational Psychology

  • Irving B. Weiner, William M. Reynolds, Gloria E. Miller(Authors)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  Understanding of the domains of teacher-child relationships in middle school is somewhat less developed than in early childhood. In addition to understanding how decreases in perceived support are related to student outcomes in middle school, there is also new evidence that examines how certain components of teacher-child relationships are differentially related to student outcomes. Murray (2009) examined the associations of student reported relationships with teachers with predominately low-income Latino adolescents. The most salient aspects of student-teacher relationships were warmth, trust, involvement, and expectations. Only closeness was associated with engagement and math achievement. Positive involvement was associated with teacher-reported language achievement. Results suggest student's perceptions of having supporting and positive relationships with teachers influenced their performance and engagement in the classroom. Interestingly, the most salient predictors of student adjustment and competency in late elementary and middle school were the positive aspects of relationships. This is in contrast to the domains of teacher-child relationship that are important for younger children; negativity, conflict and dependency tend to be the most salient predictors of concurrent functioning among preschool-aged children (Pianta et al., 2003).

  In sum, although there seems to be some momentum for understanding of how dimensions of relationships influence different children's outcomes across time, this area of research is somewhat thwarted by the bifurcation of measurement and conceptualization of teacher-child relationships across early childhood and middle school. To date, research in this area has mostly explored the change of relationship quality within each time period (e.g., early childhood), as well as the association between domain-specific relational constructs and children's outcomes and potential moderators. Overall, in order to better understand whether different qualities of teacher-child relationships are related to different outcome domains for children and teachers at different ages or grades, the field needs to develop more cohesive measurement tools across early childhood and middle school.

  Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationships in Relation to Risk

  Perhaps the single most frequently posed question regarding teacher-student relationships regards their potential as a developmental asset, particularly for children likely to struggle in school. Before they walk into school, children with certain behavioral, demographic, academic, and caregiving factors and experiences are at elevated risk for a host of academic and socioemotional difficulties (e.g., Hamre & Pianta, 2005; Henricsson & Rydell, 2004). From an ecologically oriented model, children's relational experience outside of school can be a source of risk, and their relational experiences with teachers in school could theoretically reduce or exacerbate those risks (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998; Ladd, 1996). Children experiencing close relationships with teachers tend to have higher academic performance, lower externalizing behaviors, and better social skills (Crosnoe, Johnson, & Elder, 2004; Ladd & Burgess, 2001; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004), and there is some evidence that those effects may be greater in children with prior risks. In contrast, low-quality or insecure relationships with teachers may exacerbate the effects of prior risk. Examining the extent to which high-quality teacher-child relationships protect or promote functioning for at-risk children, as well as examine the exacerbating effects of negative relationship quality, will advance the field's understanding about whether relationships with teachers alter developmental trajectories for the most vulnerable children, including children with adjustment problems, and academic risk, and children who experienced poor caregiving environments, and children with demographic risk (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000).

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