Creating Classroom Relationships that Allow Students to Feel Known PDF
Preview Creating Classroom Relationships that Allow Students to Feel Known
UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff MMaassssaacchhuusseettttss AAmmhheerrsstt SScchhoollaarrWWoorrkkss@@UUMMaassss AAmmhheerrsstt Open Access Dissertations 9-2010 CCrreeaattiinngg CCllaassssrroooomm RReellaattiioonnsshhiippss tthhaatt AAllllooww SSttuuddeennttss ttoo FFeeeell KKnnoowwnn Kent Alan Divoll University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations Part of the Education Commons RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Divoll, Kent Alan, "Creating Classroom Relationships that Allow Students to Feel Known" (2010). Open Access Dissertations. 275. https://doi.org/10.7275/1670065 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations/275 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CREATING CLASSROOM RELATIONSHIPS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO FEEL KNOWN A Dissertation Presented by KENT A. DIVOLL Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION September 2010 Education © Copyright by Kent A. Divoll 2010 All Rights Reserved CREATING CLASSROOM RELATIONSHIPS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO FEEL KNOWN A Dissertation Presented By KENT A. DIVOLL Approved as to style and content by: ____________________________________ Linda L. Griffin, Chair ____________________________________ Kathleen Gagne, Member ____________________________________ Daniel S. Gerber, Member _________________________________ Christine B. McCormick, Dean School of Education DEDICATION In loving memory of Grandma and Grandpa Divoll, Scott Patalon, Grandma and Grandpa Totman, and Kenneth Ronco. ABSTRACT CREATING CLASSROOM RELATIONSHIPS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO FEEL KNOWN SEPTEMBER 2010 KENT A. DIVOLL, B.S., WESTFIELD STATE COLLEGE M.ED., LESLEY UNIVERSITY Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Linda L. Griffin The purpose of this qualitative study was to use grounded theory and case study methodology to identify and describe the ways that an upper elementary school teacher makes students feel known and respected for who they are by creating a relationship- driven classroom community. Analyzing how a teacher uses a relationship-driven classroom community has the potential to improve upon existing classroom community models. Data were collected from a teacher questionnaire, student questionnaire, samples of student work, document collection, two formal interviews with ten students, two formal interviews the teacher, and descriptive field notes from observations. Results indicated creating teacher-student relationships that make students feel known and important has the potential to offset the issues resulting from the disconnect between teachers and students and could lead to greatly improved student achievement. The results also provide new directions in the following areas: (a) teacher-student relationships, i.e., making students feel known and important; (b) creating classroom communities that are formed around teacher-student relationships; and (c) accounting for the mismatch between teachers and students. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................2 Purpose of Study ..............................................................................................................7 Significance of Study .......................................................................................................8 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ........................................................................................10 From There to Here .......................................................................................................10 Introduction ...................................................................................................................12 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................12 Review of School and Classroom Community Literature .............................................15 Brief History of Classroom Community ................................................................15 Defining Community .............................................................................................17 Community in Education ...........................................................................18 Just Community .........................................................................................19 Moral/Constructivist Community ..............................................................19 Community of Learners .............................................................................20 Democratic Community .............................................................................21 Caring Communities ..................................................................................22 Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline .............................22 Responsive Classroom Community ...........................................................23 Community Model Themes ...................................................................................25 A positive, Developmental View of Children............................................25 View of Students as Imbedded in a Social Context ...................................26 View of Community as Relational .............................................................27 vi View of Curriculum as Integrated and Student-Centered ..........................28 Minimal or Noncoercive Discipline Strategies ..........................................29 Meeting the Needs of Students ..................................................................30 Common Set of Classroom Activities........................................................30 Benefits of School and Classroom Community .....................................................33 Review of Benefits of School and Classroom Community .......................34 Classroom Communities ........................................................................................40 Classroom Community Definitions ...........................................................41 Recommendations for Community ................................................................................42 Home Culture .........................................................................................................42 Gender ....................................................................................................................46 Language ................................................................................................................48 Classroom Relationships ........................................................................................49 Relationship-Driven Classroom Community .........................................................52 Summary of Literature Review ......................................................................................53 3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................56 Setting ............................................................................................................................58 Entry to Site and IRB .....................................................................................................59 Participants .....................................................................................................................59 Researcher Profile ..........................................................................................................61 Data Collection ..............................................................................................................63 Questionnaire .........................................................................................................63 Interviews ...............................................................................................................67 Observations and Descriptive Field Notes .............................................................70 Document Collection .............................................................................................70 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................71 Trustworthiness of Data .................................................................................................71 4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................73 Teacher’s Perceptions of Creating a Relationship-Driven Classroom ..........................73 Teacher’s Creation and Maintenance of a Relationship-Driven Classroom ..................78 Calm Demeanor .....................................................................................................79 Student-Friendly Teaching Style ...........................................................................80 vii Teacher Sharing .....................................................................................................84 Learning about Students ........................................................................................88 Including Students and Teacher into Teaching ......................................................92 Students’ Views of the Teacher and Classroom ............................................................99 Students’ Views of the Teacher-Student Relationship ................................................101 Positive Relationship ...........................................................................................101 Teacher Listened to Students ...............................................................................103 Students Felt Connected to the Teacher...............................................................104 Teacher Concerned for Student Well-Being ........................................................104 Students’ Actions and Interactions ......................................................................105 Students Felt Known ............................................................................................108 Teacher took Personal Interest in Students ..........................................................109 Teacher Supported Students ................................................................................110 Teacher Respected and Appreciated Students .....................................................115 Teacher Valued Difference ..................................................................................116 Teacher Considered Students’ Feelings ...............................................................118 Students’ Sense of Belonging ..............................................................................119 Relationship Strengths and Weaknesses ..............................................................120 Students’ Overall Ratings ....................................................................................121 Impact of the Teacher-Student Relationship on the Students ......................................122 Teacher-Student Relationships and the Impact on Learning ...............................122 Teacher-Student Relationship and the Impact on Effort......................................123 Teacher Sharing and the Impact on Learning ......................................................124 Learning about Students and the Impact on Effort ..............................................124 Teacher Care and the Impact on Students ............................................................125 Students’ Views of the Importance of Creating Relationships with Teachers ................125 Students’ Beliefs about Teacher-Student Relationships ......................................126 Students’ Beliefs about Teacher’s Learning about Students ...............................127 Students’ Beliefs about Teacher’s Sharing ..........................................................127 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION..........................................................................130 Teacher’s Perception of Creating a Relationships-Driven Classroom ........................131 Teacher’s Creation and Maintenance of a Relationships-Driven Classroom ..............134 Teacher Sharing ...................................................................................................136 Learning about Students ......................................................................................139 Including Students and Teacher into Teaching ....................................................142 Students’ View of Teacher and Classroom ..................................................................145 viii Students’ View of the Teacher-Student Relationship ..................................................146 Positive Relationship ...........................................................................................146 Strengths and Weaknesses ...................................................................................150 Students’ Overall Ratings ....................................................................................151 Impact of the Teacher-Student Relationship on the Students ......................................158 Students’ Views of the Importance of Creating Relationships with Teachers ............159 Suggestions for Further Research ................................................................................161 Limitations of the Study...............................................................................................162 Implications for Teacher Educators, Teachers, Administrators, and Textbooks .........163 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................166 APPENDICES A. STUDENT ASSENT FORM ...............................................................................171 B. STUDENT CONSENT FORM............................................................................172 C. TEACHER CONSENT FORM ...........................................................................173 D. STUDENT SURVEY ..........................................................................................174 E. TEACHER ORAL QUESTIONNAIRE .............................................................181 F. TEACHER INTERVIEW ONE PROTOCOL.....................................................182 G. TEACHER INTERVIEW TWO PROTOCOL ....................................................183 H. STUDENT INTERVIEW ONE PROTOCOL .....................................................184 I. STUDENT INTERVIEW TWO PROTOCOL ....................................................185 J. STUDENT RATING FOR ANGELA .................................................................186 K. RATINGS DISSEMINATED BY CONTRASTING SUBGROUPS .................188 L. RATINGS DISSEMINATED BY ETHNIC GROUP .........................................189 M. TEACHER GUIDELINES FOR CREATING TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS ...............................................................................................190 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................192 ix
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