Hong Kong Teachers’ Interpersonal Behavior in the Classroom

Abstract

Interpersonal teacher behavior refers to the relationship dimension of classroom environment. Research across different contexts has indicated a relationship between interpersonal teacher behavior and students’ cognitive, affective, and moral learning outcomes. Despite its importance, the relationship dimension of teaching has received relatively scant attention in teacher education and professional development programs. The present chapter brings to light this dimension by examining Hong Kong teachers’ interpersonal behavior in the classroom. The chapter has five sections. The first part introduces the Model of Interpersonal Teacher Behavior (MITB) and the Questionnaire of Teacher Interaction (QTI), for obtaining students’ perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior. The second section provides an overview of interpersonal teacher behavior in the Asia-Pacific region. Following a brief introduction of the Hong Kong context, the third section presents and discusses the nature of interpersonal teacher behavior as identified in numerous studies on primary and secondary school students. The fourth section depicts an action-learning project undertaken with practicing teachers in Hong Kong to enhance their reflection on their interpersonal behavior in the classroom. The last part concludes and draws research and practical recommendations for teacher education.