Teacher-pupil Interaction Research Articles

Examining how observed need-supportive and need-thwarting teaching behaviours relate to pupils’ affective outcomes in physical education

This study aims to investigate the complexity of the practices of pedagogies of affect in physical education in response to urgent mental health issues among children and young people. As a proxy for measuring the effects of pedagogies of affect on pupils’ outcomes, self-determination theory (SDT) has informed teaching approaches for student motivation and psychological wellness and, thus, it could be an indicator perspective for mental health. Previous SDT studies in physical education have shown the relationship between pupils’ perceptions of need-supportive and need-thwarting teaching behaviours and affective outcomes. Nevertheless, no attempts have been made to test this teacher–pupil relationship involving observations of naturalistic teaching behaviour. Accordingly, this study examined how these observed teaching behaviours relate to pupils’ affective outcomes represented by basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, (de)motivation, positive and negative affect, and sense of coherence. Employing a cross-sectional design, this study conducted observations of one indoor lesson per class and administered a set of questionnaires to pupils. In total, 20 teachers and 381 pupils aged 11 to 15 from seven different Scottish secondary schools participated in this study. The results showed that the factor of the observed structure before the activity was significantly related to affective outcomes, while the observed controlling teaching behaviour was related to negative outcomes. Although non-significant relationships between some factors of observed teaching behaviour and pupils’ variables were also found, this observational study is significant as it provides direct evidence of teacher–pupil interactions in the real-life context for developing pedagogies of affect.

“I keep warning the new teachers, you’ll have elephant skin”: Teachers coping with physical violence perpetrated toward them by their pupils

This study aimed to describe and analyze the experiences of Israeli teachers subject to physical violence from their pupils. Thematic analysis of interviews with 32 elementary school teachers from Northern Israel (11 Jewish and 21 Arab) revealed two themes. The first, “shattered beliefs,” described teachers’ experiences of broken professional beliefs about the nature of teacher-pupil interactions. The second described teachers’ coping with the altered sense of their professional role as a negotiation of extremes involving their social environment, professional commitment, and interpretation of the violent event. Implications of the study highlight the need for the school community to adopt a trauma-informed approach to allow teachers’ trauma and needs to be recognized in the aftermath of violent incidents and include the exploration of support from the school environment.

Elementary School Teachers' Experiences of Implementing the Teacher Classroom Management Method - Case Study in Finland

The diversity of pupils and their different difficulties challenge teachers' skills and methods in teaching. Some behavioral challenges require rapid intervention and a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach from the teachers. An internationally recognized tool, TCM (Teacher Classroom Management), aims to support pupils' socio-emotional development, improve teacher-pupil interaction, and strengthen school-home cooperation. This pilot study examines teachers' experiences of TCM in Finnish primary school context. The study is qualitative, and the data (N=16) was collected through focus group interviews. According to the results, the teacher's strengthened group management skills were positively reflected in the classroom. Teachers´ positive communication with the class strengthened interaction and made it easier to deal with difficult issues. However, implementing TCM in the school community requires ongoing support. Collegial experiences and renewed group management skills strengthened the teachers' own experience of coping at work. The TCM method provided appropriate group management tools.

Applied Transactional Analysis in Music Education: Naturally Occurring Teacher Ego State Behaviours and Their Effect on Student Motivation

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of teacher behaviour on student motivation during teacher-pupil interaction in music education. Observations of communication between music teachers and their students were made by the author from the perspective of Transactional Analysis. The students who participated were between 7 and 12 years old, and there were 7 adult teacher participants. Naturally occurring ego-state behaviour in these teachers during interactions with their students was observed and recorded with the intention of assessing the impact on student motivation. The hypothesis was that the effects of teacher behaviour that manifests as Adult, Nurturing Parent, and Free Child ego states significantly increases student motivation. The results of the study suggest that this hypothesis is valid.

Learning with Differing-Ability Peers: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in South Korea

Abstract Whether to group students based on their prior academic achievements has been at the center of policy and research debate. This article explores a quasi-experimental setting in South Korea where the “Equalization Policy” replaced ability-tracking in high school students’ allocation. The policy abolished high school entrance exams and began assigning students to high schools without considering students’ prior academic performance, which exposed students to an ability-mixing learning environment. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we show that ability-mixing considerably reduces the number of low-performers in a national college entrance test. At the same time, high-performers are hardly affected by the policy changes. We document that the behavioral changes of low-performing students may drive the main results. In contrast, we find no evidence that grouping mechanisms affect teacher-pupil interaction and teacher quality.

Mapping the quality of teacher–pupil interactions in lessons with and without the use of tablets during a typical school day in first grade

ABSTRACT The quality of teacher–pupil interactions is important for pupils’ learning and engagement, and teachers play an important role in facilitating learning. Tablets are often used in primary education. This study evaluated the quality of teacher–pupil interactions during first-grade lessons, with and without tablets, during a typical school day across 18 classrooms. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System® K-3 was used to assess the quality of the interactions, and the utilisation of tablets was coded using time sampling. Overall, the quality of teacher–pupil interactions for the domains of emotional support and classroom organisation were high, in contrast to the domain instructional support, which was low in quality. The quality of teacher–pupil interactions was generally consistent throughout the day; a small difference was identified where the quality was slightly lower for a positive climate, regard for student perspectives and language modelling in lessons with tablets, compared to those without.

The Mediating Role of Teacher–Pupil Interaction in the Relationship of Pupil Temperament to Self-Esteem and School Success

The aim of this research was to examine the mediating role of teacher–pupil interaction in the relationship of temperament to self-esteem and school success among year-7 and year-8 elementary-school pupils in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H). The assumptions on the contribution of the dimensions of temperament (self-control and negative affectivity) and teacher–pupil interaction (influence and proximity) in explaining pupils' self-esteem and school success were partially confirmed. Similar relationships among the measured variables were confirmed in both samples of pupils. Self-control, negative affectivity, and teacher proximity directly predicted self-esteem, while self- -control indirectly predicted self-esteem through teacher proximity. Self-control and teacher proximity contributed directly to school success, and the indirect contribution of self- -control to school success through teacher proximity was also significant. The results of this research indicate the importance of the direct contribution of children's temperaments to their self-esteem and school success, and of its indirect contribution through the quality of the interaction with their teacher.

A psychological perspective of agency and structure within critical realist theory: a specific application to the construct of self-efficacy

ABSTRACT The discipline of psychology has been under-represented in the critical realist account of the relationship between structure and agency. In this paper a critical realist perspective of educational psychology research focuses on the psychological analysis of the individual and what might be considered as ‘real' and having causal power. Bhaskar's criteria for an entity to be ontologically real are applied to the psychological entity of self-efficacy in the context of a typical piece of classroom teacher-pupil interaction. The role of self-efficacy alongside other psychological, social and cultural entities is presented as a causal mechanism for the generation of Archer’s internal conversation which leads to agency. Self-efficacy is further examined in relation to criteria of ontological depth and emergence. This perspective creates the basis for a consistent ontological framework across educational psychology and that of the social sciences and a sound basis for interdisciplinary research and theory development.

How is regulative discourse recontextualized into instructional discourse in Basil Bernstein’s code theory? A study of the interplay between recognition and realization rules based on primary school teachers’ perceptions

Drawing on the code theory of Basil Bernstein, this study set out to explore how the interplay between recognition rules and realization rules associated with framing is constituted, and why, through the issue of teacher-pupil interactions. A large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted of 4,552 primary school teachers in China, with a response rate of 70.65 % (n = 3,216). The findings show that recognition rules (teachers’ attitudes) stimulate passive realization rules (teachers’ ideas), and passive realization rules evoke active realization rules (teachers’ actions). As teachers are committed to achieving efficiency, they favor an elaborated coding orientation typical of excellent students because this contributes significantly to ease of teacher-pupil interactions. This intention creates strong hierarchical rules in regulative discourse by which teachers are able to recontextualize regulative discourse into instructional discourse. These correlations establish a legitimate platform for securing the privileged status of middle-class students in teacher-pupil interactions.

Exploring the Learning Process of Experienced Teachers Focused on Building Positive Interactions with Pupils

ABSTRACT This work investigated the processes of teacher informal learning focused on building positive teacher–pupil interaction. The conceptual framework “Teacher professional agency for learning” was merged with the “Teaching through interaction” model to compound the exploratory framework of this study: Teachers learn by interacting. Teachers first reported their professional agency through a survey. Next, five high scoring teachers were selected for interview. Final participants accounted being motivated and confident of improving their relationships with pupils and reported using diverse learning strategies to improve teacher–pupil interactions. The teachers revealed the need to be authentic to build positive relationships with pupils. This study contributes to the area of teacher learning by addressing transferable strategies that support everyday teacher practices and professional development.

ANALYTICAL OBSERVATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS IN SOCIAL STUDIES IN UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS IN BAYELSA STATE OF NIGERIA

Classroom communication is a vital ingredient in every instructional learning process within the school environment. The quality and quantity of teacher-pupil interaction is a critical dimension of effective classroom teaching. This prompted the development of a Classroom Interaction Sheet (CIS) for an analytical observation of behavioral activities that are predominant in a teaching /learning process in Social Studies. The Classroom Interaction Sheet observed 3 categories of behavior namely, teachers’ activities, students’ activities, and others. The frequency of occurrence for each activity was observed for thirty-two instructional lessons. The inter-rater reliability estimated for CIS is 0.60. Data were analyzed with frequency/percentage and independent t-test statistical techniques. Findings show teachers’ activities have the highest occurrence of 54%, followed by students’ activities of 43%. Furthermore, students’ behavioral activities such as responding to questions; listening: and hand up to respond got the highest scores of 12%, 13%, and 12% respectively. Teachers’behavioural activities that occurred most are: explaining (16%); standing in front of the class (14%); and demonstrating with hands (13%). Gender of the teacher and school type did not significantly affect classroom interaction (i.e. t(30)=0.053,p>0.05 and t(30)=0.512,p>0.05). It is recommended that teachers’ behavioral activities such as praising and encouraging pupils’ efforts; and giving assignment which scored low should be improved on. Conclusively, the teacher’s dominance in classroom interaction is sustained in this study.

Teachers matter for metacognition: Facilitating metacognition in the primary school through teacher-pupil interactions

Despite the ubiquity of Structured Thinking Activities (STAs) throughout primary school education in the UK and beyond, little is known about the ways that activities such as learning logs are used to support pupils to think about and manage their own thinking (i.e., engage with metacognition). Here we investigated how pupils engaged with STAs throughout a school year by conducting an in-depth case study of one Scottish primary four classroom, examining factors that facilitated and/or inhibited pupil metacognition. By triangulating data from participant observation, interviews and document analysis, we found that pupils were often un-motivated to engage with STAs, with responses provided during written and oral activities typically revealing superficial references to classroom topics of interest. Whilst factors such as the classroom culture and the timing of activities were found to influence pupil engagement with STAs, observational data indicated that teacher-pupil interactions are essential for eliciting metacognition from pupils (i.e., via discussions that occurred as part of the STAs). Our findings suggest that teachers play a critical role in encouraging elaboration from pupils in relation to descriptions of their own thinking and learning, particularly when pupils’ initial responses are broad or superficial. We discuss the critical importance of teacher talk for metacognition, emphasising the ‘dual role’ that teachers must play when facilitating metacognition within the classroom.

The practice of weak framing from teachers’ perceptions in China

Drawing on the code theory of Basil Bernstein, this study set out to examine how primary school teachers operationalize and experience their teaching practice with respect to the weak framing that may underpin teacher-pupil interaction, and how this practice is regulated by certain variables. Questionnaires were completed by 2,238 primary school teachers in China. The findings revealed that the teachers performed weak framing mainly through an invisible pedagogy in interactions with students, which was significantly affected by an interplay between student-based authority, students’ linguistic codes and use of textbooks. An elaborated code generates two crucial advantages: it reduces the impact of the constraints of textbooks and traditional pedagogy on student-based teacher authority, and facilitates the teachers in implementing weak framing. Therefore, providing scaffolding resources to underachieving students to assist them in acquiring an elaborated code could be the key to ameliorating the phenomenon of cultural reproduction.

The subtle interactional dance of a teacher: The negotiation of pupil-teacher translanguaging practices in a Brussels’ Dutch-medium secondary school

In this article, the nuanced complexities of translanguaging practices in teacher-pupil interaction are studied. Negotiation of teacher-pupil translanguaging practices is analysed in a diverse classroom in a monolingual school context in which other languages than the language of instruction are not accepted. Throughout the selected English course, translanguaging practices including different named languages (i.e. French, Dutch, English, Arabic) unfold in teacher-pupil interaction. Whereas the teacher merely has to safeguard boundaries between languages according to modernist school structures, results also indicate that the management of pupils’ translanguaging by a teacher in a multilingual, postmodern context guided by modernist institutional rules is negotiated in interaction. This negotiation of translanguaging practices in interaction is guided by power inequalities and impacts on the teacher’s professional identity and on the valorisation of features of named languages. As a result, pupils’ and teacher’s linguistic practices can be situated on different parts of a translanguaging continuum, from more hybrid to more bounded.

An Attachment aware schools programme: a safe space, a nurturing learning community

ABSTRACT There is a growing expectation that schools have a good understanding of attachment theory and its implications in practice, in order to meet the needs of Looked After Children, and other vulnerable learners. Derbyshire County Council’s Attachment Aware Schools programme, now in its fifth year, is meeting this need by providing a substantial school development programme which has led to innovative and sustainable ways of developing school practice. This programme has involved a comprehensive range of bespoke long-term development work with 77 schools to date, through a dynamic interaction of training, action research and reflective practice to promote safe, nurturing and effective learning environments. The programme, underpinned by attachment theory, has led to schools throughout the county becoming communities of inquiry and hubs of excellence, through a process of practice-as-research, where the cyclical nature of action research enhances the complementary relationship of theory and practice. Evaluation of the programme has shown that all participating schools have effected ethos change, and developed better informed pedagogical practice, to support Looked After Children, and other vulnerable learners. This article explores how building attachment awareness in schools, with a focus on relationship-building and a better understanding of teacher–pupil interaction, can contribute meaningfully to whole school development.

Teacher burnout profiles and proactive strategies

Teacher burnout has been identified as a significant occupational hazard. However, our understanding about individual variations in burnout risk among in-service teachers is still less than sufficient. This study explored socio-contextual burnout risk profiles and their association with the reported use of proactive strategies among in-service teachers by using a person-oriented approach. The survey data were collected from 2310 Finnish in-service primary and lower secondary school teachers using a probability sampling method. In the latent profile analysis, five socio-contextual burnout profiles were identified. The profiles differed from each other in terms of burnout symptoms and proactive strategy use. Results suggested that there is individual variation in teachers’ risk of burnout. In addition, the results imply that well-developed proactive strategies, both in terms of self- and co-regulative strategies, are related to lower risk of experiencing socio-contextual burnout. The utilization of strong co-regulative strategies was related to lower risk of experiencing exhaustion and inadequacy during teacher-pupil interactions. However, strong self-regulation combined with low levels of co-regulation was related to an increased risk of experiencing cynicism. This implies that learning proactive strategies may be useful in preventing teacher burnout.

‘Formalizing the Unformalizable’: Discursive Resistance to Unified State Examination by the Teacher Community

This paper investigates the logics of teachers’ discursive resistance to the Unified State Examinations (USE) almost two decades after its introduction into the Russian education system. By drawing upon NVivo-aided Discourse analysis of online teacher discussions, interview and focus group data, the analysis critically examines the pedagogical underpinnings of USE vis-a-vis the traditional assessment system in the teaching community in two Russian cities: Moscow and Rostov-on-Don. Drawing on the concept of ‘actually existing neoliberalisms’ the analysis shows how, when interpreted through the lens of grassroots pedagogical values, the semantics of the globalized concepts of ‘educational standardization’ and ‘standardized testing’ takes on domestic culturally-specific meanings complementary and, at times, contradictory to the intended ones. In Russia specifically, the notion of ‘standardization’ comes into conflict with the pedagogical idea of a creative personalized and, therefore, profoundly ‘non-standard’ education, while academic assessment continues to be perceived as the non-quantifiable and subjective outcome of teacher-pupil interaction over time. The analysis underscores the interpretative and symbolic dimensions of educational policy and calls for more nuanced efforts to culturally tailor and translate borrowed educational meanings on the part of educational elites.

Mapping Teaching Through Interactions and Pupils’ Learning in Mathematics

The aim of the study is to map patterns of teaching quality through interactions in Mathematics lessons in lower secondary school classrooms. The sample is 10 ninth-grade classrooms in Norway (pupils’ age, 14-15 years). Reciprocal linkages between teaching through interactions in Mathematic lessons and pupils’ results on a standardized National Curriculum Mathematic Test, before and after observed lessons ( N = 115) over 7 months, are studied. To map quality of teacher–pupil interactions in classrooms, observations are video recorded and analyzed using Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Video analyses elicit that there is a variety in teacher–pupil interaction quality in the 10 classrooms concerning “emotional support,” “classroom organization,” and “instructional support.” The lowest quality is found for the dimensions “analysis and inquiry,” “instructional dialogue,” and “regard for adolescent perspectives,” which might preclude facilitation of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to enhance pupils’ learning and engagement in work with instructional content. Highest quality in teaching through interactions is found for the dimensions “behaviour management” and “productivity.” Analyses show that “positive climate” and “student engagement” both have strong effect sizes and are significant concerning pupils’ learning on class level when comparing classrooms with the highest and lowest improvement score on the standardized National Curriculum Math test over 7 months.

Learning from learning logs: A case study of metacognition in the primary school classroom

Structured thinking activities (STAs) are pedagogical tools used to support metacognition in classrooms. Despite their popularity, little is known about how pupils use STAs as platforms to think about and manage their own thinking (i.e. as metacognitive tools). This case study investigated pupils’ use of STAs in relation to metacognition throughout a school year. We focus on two 8‐year‐old pupils, Amy and Laura, as they completed two specific STAs through weekly class meets and termly achievement logs. Data were triangulated through participant observation, qualitative interviews and analysis of written texts. We found clear differences between Laura's and Amy's written STAs, however observation and interviews revealed that engagement with STAs was similar beyond that suggested by the written evidence alone. Whereas Amy used easily spelt ‘stock’ responses, Laura used ‘bare minimum’ responses to meet teacher expectations. As such, neither Amy nor Laura used STAs as metacognitive tools, however in negotiating STAs, both exhibited strategic regulatory skills indicative of metacognition. Whilst our findings highlight that pupils may still be developing explicit metacognitive knowledge necessary to take full advantage of STAs, we highlight the clear value of persistent approaches to using STAs as tools to support developing metacognition, particularly in association with teacher–pupil interactions.

Проєктна технологія як основа технологічної підготовки шкільної молоді для діяльності в сучасних умовах

The paper deals with theoretical points of view on the use of didactic peculiarities of project methods and technologies at school in the context of technological educational field. Labour training is actually the only discipline at school that has the opportunity to develop a holistic, systematic view on technical environment and technological effectiveness of the most types of human activity, as well as on the algorithm of human behavioral functions and that component of the noosphere without which the society cannot exist at the present stage. The technical and technological culture being a component (element) of general culture shapes the idea of the material and technical component of modern civilisation, and the noospheric component that creates appropriate conditions for modern human existence, simplifies and speeds up the process of reproducing these conditions. The development of ideas about this component and its interaction with other elements of the noosphere influence human-technology interaction and form the essence of Labour Training within the framework of technological educational field. Project methodology is considered in the context of personal-activity training; it lies in the fact that the purpose of classes and the ways to achieve it should be determined by pupils, taking into consideration their interests, individual characteristics, needs, motives, and abilities. Personal-activity training makes it possible to change the basic scheme of teacher-pupil interaction. The attention is paid to the main stages of the implementation of personal-activity approach that are reflected in important didactic tasks realised in the process of using project methods. The paper covers the peculiarities of the formation of pupils’ technical and technological culture as an element of the general culture of a person.