Creating Classroom Relationships that Allow Students to Feel Known

222 Pages·2017·1.22 MB·English

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Open Access Dissertations
9-2010
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Kent Alan Divoll
University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Divoll, Kent Alan, "Creating Classroom Relationships that Allow Students to Feel Known" (2010). Open
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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

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