Perceptions of the Teacher-Student Relationship: A Study of Upper Elementary Teachers and Their Students

This study examines the perceptions of a group of fourth through sixth grade teachers and their students concerning their relationship; the participants included 39 teachers and 111 students at an elementary school in the People’s Republic of China. Both groups responded to a survey with the same number of items and content but from two different perspectives. The second part of the survey included teacher-student responses to one open-ended question. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected for analysis and discussion. Statistically significant differences were found between the means of the teacher and student groups in classroom goal structures (F=9.55, p=.000) and teacher’s role (F=2.414, p=.018). Findings indicate that the teachers and students expressed their views rather differently on the items that reveal or reflect teacher-student relationship. Pressure of norm-referenced testing or grades appears to be a major factor contributing to the differences. Participants perceived teacher attitude or affective education essential in establishing a positive relationship between the two. The role played by a teacher was depicted as being much more dynamic than linear, and both groups deemed it necessary for teachers to shift their role according to settings in order to better support learners.