South African schools are learning environments that are defined by
heterogenity, which means the relating and interaction of teachers and
learners from different cultural, language and religious backgrounds.
Viewed in terms of a social constructivist theoretical framework, teachers’
perceptions of their interaction with their learners are defined by their personal
experiences, as well as their observations of concrete learner behaviour in
class which are mostly shaped by the learners’ perceptions. ,. Broad cultural
influences, including the unique school culture and climate where the teachers
are operating, also contribute to teachers’ perception of the teacher-learnerinteraction.
The nature and quality of teacher-learner interactions must be
viewed as a contextual feature of school culture and climate as these relations
shape the classroom experience. This study sought to generate broad themes
on how teachers perceive teacher-learner interactions within diverse school
cultures and climates. The research was conducted within a social
constructivist, interpretive paradigm and it utilised Kenny’s PERSON Model of
Interpersonal Perception. The PERSON Model of Interpersonal Perception is
a model used to explore the formation of perceptions during interpersonal
interaction and it is in line with the social constructivist position as it takes into
account the dynamic and socially embedded nature of the interaction process.
A research study of this nature was needed because teachers’ perceptions of
their regular contact and connecting with learners influence teacher-learner
relations. This in turn serves to shape learners’ perceptions of the learning
environment as well as mediate the learners’ behaviour and relationship with
scholastic learning (Luckner & Pianta, 2011:257).
Qualitative research was used as this method lends itself to revealing the
authenticity of human experience (Silverman, 2013:6) and it is particularly
useful in the study of social relations (Flick, 2009:12). The participants
consisted of twenty teachers from four high schools in Johannesburg,
Gauteng. Three teachers from each of the four schools participated in semistructured
interviews, while two other teachers from each of the four schools
participated in a single focus group activity that included a collage-making
exercise. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes that articulate the
teachers’ perceptions of the teacher-learner interaction.
Key themes that were identified through the research study included teaching
to be a vocation; teachers’ interactions with their learners as character
building that serve to shape the personalities of their learners; the influence of
the length of time that teachers are active in the teaching profession and
teacher-learner interactions; how classroom management strategies
influences teachers perceptions of teacher-learner interactions.
It was found that several factors influence the teachers’ perceptions of their
interactions with their learners. Teachers who considered teaching to be a
“vocation” tended to report that they experience enjoyable teacher-learner
interactions. The teachers whose narratives did not include references to
teaching as a vocation were inclined to report more conflictual and less
enjoyable interaction experiences with their learners. The findings further
reveal that the teachers perceive a decrease in negative teacher-learner
interactions the longer they teach. Both groups of teachers viewed the
interactions with their learners as character-building exercises that served to
shape the personalities of their learners.
Classroom climate factors and management strategies were found to
influence teachers’ perceptions of their interactions with their learners. The
teachers’ narratives did not emphasise race or culture as factors (qualitative
research) that moderated their interactions with the learners in a significant
manner. Overall, the findings indicated that the participants showed an
awareness that firstly, personal factors, secondly, the external social factors
or environmental events, and, lastly that individual behaviour contributed
much to the quality of the interactions.
An in-depth study investigating rural teachers’ perceptions of their interactions
with their learners is recommended. A wider study that compares and
contrasts the perceptions of teachers from the various provinces of South
Africa would provide valuable insight into whether or not teachers’ perceptions
of teacher-learner interaction vary from province to province. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/15445 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Motara, Michelle Christine |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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