Nastava i Vaspitanje (Jan 2018)
Determinants of minsunderstandings between students and teachers
Abstract
Interpersonal relationships in the school, particularly relationships between students and teachers, are a fascinating but thus far underexplored issue which should be the constant focus of scientific research on educational theory and practice. This paper, the primary aim of which is to uncover the determinants of misunderstandings between students and teachers, looks at some of the results of a wider study of the complex dynamics of interpersonal relationships in the school. A battery of instruments for students (N=3161) and a battery of instruments for their teachers (N=157) were used to collect data on the elements that might determine misunderstandings between teachers and students, pertaining to teaching methodology, class discipline and affective/emotional aspects of the student-teacher relationship. Using the paired sample T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), statistically significant differences were found between student and teacher responses. The results indicate that teachers and students have different perceptions of certain elements determining student-teacher relationships, which could be regarded as sources of mutual misunderstandings.
