educational psychology

1. Dynamics of teacher pupil
interaction in school
School Psychology

2. Dynamics of teacher pupil interaction in
school
 Good relationships between teachers and students are important for student
motivation, their academic achievement and for teachers' well-being
 . Poor teacher–student relationships are related to classroom management issues and
are an important reason for leaving the profession.
 Many studies have been carried out all over the world to study teacher–student
relationships in various countries (e.g., The Netherlands, the United States, Canada,
Australia, China, and Indonesia) and various educational contexts (e.g., secondary,
vocational, and university education).
 All of these studies reported the significant and crucial role of teacher–student
relationships in education.
 Teacher–student relationships develop from daily classroom interactions between
teacher and students. The knowledge base on the relation between these daily
interactions and the teacher–student relationship is limited.

3. Cont’d
 Interactions are defined as real-time behavioral exchanges of two or more
participants (e.g., teacher–student or student–student) , and relationships as
relatively stable patterns in these behavioral exchanges.
 When studying how daily classroom interactions and teacher–student
relationships influence each other, it is fruitful to use an approach based on
Dynamic Systems (DS) theory
 . According to this theory any development of a system (e.g., a person, a dyad or a
group) is hierarchically nested in time.

4. Cont’d
 Development is therefore studied by examining the relation between experiences and
processes on different time levels, i.e., micro-level (e.g., real-time teacher–student
interactions) and macro-level (e.g., teacher–student relationships).
 Experiences and processes on a real-time level denote what happens within or between
humans from second to second. Experiences and processes on a developmental time
level denote the relatively stable state of certain human characteristics.
 Studying the development of teacher–student relationships using a DS approach
includes three basic tenets (a) real-time interactions between teachers and students in
classrooms are the building blocks of teacher–student relationships ; (b) these
relationships become manifest through the development of recurrent, relatively stable
patterns in real-time interactions; and (c) these relationships constrain real-time
processes and experiences.

5. Cont’d
 In various social contexts studies on relationships have been carried out using a DS
approach.
 Examples are studies on parent–child relationships, on homogeneous interaction
partners (e.g. females; Markey et al., 2010), and on mixed-sex relationships (Sadler
& Woody, 2003).
 Harjunen (2012) emphasized the importance of power in classroom interactions as
dynamic systems.

6. Meaning of Dynamics group dynamics
 Dynamics means change and group dynamics means behavioral change
throughout the group interaction.
 As students live in school communities as a classroom, a park, a band, a science
club, a library, etc., it is only normal that students engage in groups to meet their
needs, obtain information, communicate, etc.
 As we know that human activity is not irreversible, and if the students
communicate with other members of their group/groups, they can continuously
alter the actions of other members.
 This form of change of behavior of students is called group dynamics because of
their contact with group members.

7. Providing Appropriate Guidance
 If a teacher is familiar with group dynamics, he/she can give his / her students
appropriate guidance in their adjustment.
 As education is intended to make the country’s people socially flexible, so we want
our students to respond positively to their families, colleagues, associates, and
others.
 Students may often have some issues with their transition process.
 If a teacher knows how to communicate positively with other members of his or
her group, he/she (teacher) will provide students with the correct advice on their
shift, if they are well-equipped with basic knowledge of group dynamics.

8. Improving the Emotional and Social Climate
 In a class that has no enough emotional and social environment, we cannot even
imagine coordinating participatory, efficient, and effective teaching-learning
processes.
 If the students in the class are negative, don’t care about the emotions, needs, and
expectancies, we cannot expect that the course to be a successful transaction.
 An instructor should direct his students through group dynamics to better adapt
and to healthy interactions.
 The emotional and social climate can be improved by the teacher.

9. Improving Group Relations
 Special relationship patterns among class students are as stars, isolates, reciprocal pairs,
chains, etc. If teachers are familiar with group dynamics, then they will lead. The leader’s
role is now moving from authoritarian to participatory and democratic.
 Teachers should encourage students to participate in all school activities. If the
instructor has researched group dynamics, then by putting them in confidence he or she
will enhance the atmosphere of students in his / her class.
 The teacher will freely make his/her choices. He/she will encourage students to engage
in learning activities by studying group dynamics. As group relationships play a major
role in the teaching-learning process, a teacher needs to improve group relationships in
class.

10. Having A Thorough Knowledge of The
Interaction Process
 The teacher has various events of different classes to plan. Teachers will research
group dynamics to work effectively with social groups in schools, in playgrounds, in
the laboratory, and in co-curricular activities.
 We know that all students with the same qualities, needs, interests, etc. can’t be
found in a class.
 Their socio-economic history can be different. The teacher will try to figure out if
these students have good experiences.

11. Removing Conflicts and Stresses in The Group
 The tensions and pressures in the community are considered to disrupt the student’s
learning environment. A teacher should attempt to erase them. A teacher should study
the dynamic group process for this purpose.
 The teacher’s job as a whole is not only to teach the students but also to create
favorable environments for the students in their class that can inspire them to
participate and to learn proactively. A teacher should be fully aware of Group dynamics
for this form of development, which will help a teacher in class transactions.
 Even if the ‘small group’ is not a label that fits classes with over 100 students, there are
many characteristics typical of the group, even large classes. The application of these
principles will lead to a classroom environment in which learning is more likely to
profound.

12. How study of group dynamics help a
teacher in classroom transaction
 1. To provide appropriate guidance to students for their adjustment:
 If teacher has basic knowledge of group dynamics then he/she can provide
appropriate guidance to his/her students for their adjustment. As we know that
education aims to make socially adjustable citizen of the country, we want that our
students should have positive adjustment with their friends, classmates, playmates
and others.
 Sometimes students can face certain problems regarding their process of
adjustment. If teacher is well-equipped with the basic knowledge of group
dynamics, if teacher knows how a student should interact with other members of
his/her group positively then he/she (teacher) can provide proper guidance to
students about their adjustment.

13. 2. To improve the emotional and social climate
of the class:
 As we know that we can not even imagine organising participative, effective and
armful teaching-learning process in the class which does not have proper
emotional and social climate.
 If the students of the class have negative attitudes about each other, if they act
unsociably as enemies, if they do not care emotions, needs, expectations of others
then we cannot expect a successful transaction of teaching-learning process in that
kind of class.
 Through the study of group dynamics, a teacher can guide his/her students for
making proper adjustment and healthy interaction with each other. Teacher can
improve the emotional and social climate of the class.

14. 3. To improve group relations in the class:
 We can see some particular patterns of relationship among the students of the class as-
stars, isolates, mutual pairs, chains etc. If teacher has basic knowledge of group
dynamics then he/she can provide a leadership role. The role of the leader is now
shifting from authoritarian to a democratic and participatory one.
 Teacher should try to encourage participation of students in all the school activities. If
teacher has studied about group dynamics, then he/she can improve the climate of the
students of his class by taking them into confidence.
 Teacher can take his/her decisions democratically. By studying group dynamics, he/she
can motivate students to participate in learning activities. Since group relation has an
important role in teaching-learning process so a teacher should improve group relation
in the class. For this improvement he/she should have knowledge of group dynamics.

15. 4. To deal effectively with social groups:
 Teacher has to organise various activities in various groups. To deal efficiently with
social groups in classroom, in playground, in laboratory, in co-curricular activities,
teacher should have study about group dynamics.

16. 5. To have a thorough knowledge of the
interaction process:
 As we know that in a class we cannot find all the students of same qualities, needs,
interests etc. They may be of different socio-economic background.
 Teacher should try to ascertain positive interaction among these students. For this
teacher should have a complete knowledge of group dynamics and the interaction
process.

17. 6. To remove conflicts and stresses in the group:
 As we know that conflicts and stresses in the group, disturb the learning climate of
the class.
 A teacher should try to remove these. For this a teacher should have study the
group dynamic process.
 As a whole, a teacher's work is not only to teach the students but him/her should
work to create positive circumstances in the class which could motivate students
towards participative and armful learns.
 For this kind of creation a teacher should have thorough knowledge of group
dynamics which help a teacher in classroom transaction.

18. How is the CLASS organized?
 The CLASS describes ten dimensions of teaching that are linked to student achievement and social
development. Each of the ten dimensions falls into one of three broad categories: emotional
support, classroom organization, and instructional support.
 Emotional support refers to the ways teachers help children develop warm, supportive
relationships, experience enjoyment and excitement about learning, feel comfortable in the
classroom, and experience appropriate levels of autonomy or independence. This includes:
 Positive climate — the enjoyment and emotional connection that teachers have with students, as
well as the nature of peer interactions;
 Negative climate — the level of expressed negativity such as anger, hostility or aggression exhibited
by teachers and/or students in the classroom;
 Teacher sensitivity — teachers’ responsiveness to students’ academic and emotional needs; and
 Regard for student perspectives — the degree to which teachers’ interactions with students and
classroom activities place an emphasis on students’ interests, motivations, and points of view.

19. Classroom organization
 Classroom organization refers to the ways teachers help children develop skills to
regulate their own behavior, get the most learning out of each school day, and
maintain interest in learning activities. This includes:
 Behavior management — how well teachers monitor, prevent, and redirect
misbehavior;
 Productivity — how well the classroom runs with respect to routines, how well
students understand the routine, and the degree to which teachers provide
activities and directions so that maximum time can be spent in learning activities;
and
 Instructional learning formats — how teachers engage students in activities and
facilitate activities so that learning opportunities are maximized.

20. Instructional support
 Instructional support refers to the ways in which teachers effectively support
students' cognitive development and language growth. This includes:
 Concept development — how teachers use instructional discussions and activities
to promote students’ higher-order thinking skills and cognition in contrast to a
focus on rote instruction;
 Quality of feedback — how teachers expand participation and learning through
feedback to students; and
 Language modeling — the extent to which teachers stimulate, facilitate, and
encourage students’ language use.

21. classroom management
 Of all the variables, classroom management has the largest effect on student
achievement.
 This makes intuitive sense-students cannot learn in a chaotic, poorly managed
classroom.
 It is very important that there is a balance between teacher actions that provide
clear consequences for unacceptable behavior and teacher actions that recognize
and reward acceptable behavior.
 For example, beginning the school year with a positive emphasis on management;
arranging the room in a way conducive to effective management; and identifying
and implementing rules and operating procedures.

22. Cont’d
 What are the characteristics of effective teacher-student relationships? Let’s first
consider what they are not. Effective teacher-student relationships have nothing to
do with the teacher’s personality or even with whether the students view the
teacher as a friend. Rather, the most effective teacher-student relationships are
characterized by three specific teacher behaviors:
 •Exhibiting appropriate levels of dominance
 •Exhibiting appropriate levels of cooperation
 •Being aware of high-needs students.

23. 1. Appropriate Levels of Dominance
 Teachers can exhibit appropriate dominance by establishing these three principles:
 • Clear behavior expectations
 • Clear learning goals
 • Exhibiting assertive behavior
 A. Establish Clear Expectations and Consequences
 Teachers can establish clear expectations for behavior in two ways: by establishing clear rules and
procedures, and by providing consequences for student behavior. Past research has stressed the
importance of establishing rules and procedures for general classroom behavior, group work, seat
work, transitions and interruptions, use of materials and equipment, and beginning and ending the
period or the day. Ideally, the class should establish these rules and procedures through discussion
and mutual consent by teacher and students.
 Along with well-designed and clearly communicated rules and procedures, the teacher must
acknowledge students’ behavior, reinforcing acceptable behavior and providing negative
consequences for unacceptable behavior.

24. Cont’d
 Teachers can build effective relationships through these strategies:
 •Using a wide variety of verbal and physical reactions to students’ misbehavior, such as
moving closer to offending students and using a physical cue, such as a finger to the
lips, to point out inappropriate behavior.
 •Cuing the class about expected behaviors through prearranged signals, such as raising
a hand to indicate that all students should take their seats.
 •Providing tangible recognition of appropriate behavior-with tokens or rewards, for
example.
 •Employing group contingency (eventual) policies that hold the entire group
responsible for behavioral expectations.
 •Employing home contingency techniques that involve rewards and sanctions at home.

25. B. Establish Clear Learning Goals
 Teachers can also exhibit appropriate levels of dominance by providing clarity
about the content and expectations of an upcoming instructional unit. Important
teacher actions to achieve this end include:
 •Establishing and communicating learning goals at the beginning of a unit of
instruction.
 •Providing feedback on those goals.
 •Continually and systematically re-visiting the goals.
 •Providing summative feedback regarding the goals.

26. C. Exhibit Assertive Behavior
 Teachers can also communicate appropriate levels of dominance by exhibiting assertive
behavior. Assertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and
aggressive behavior.
Tips to using assertive body language:
 •Maintain an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance
so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of
the message being presented to students.
 •Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is
slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of
emotions in the voice.
 •Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore
inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming,
but listen to legitimate explanations.

27. 2. Appropriate Levels of Cooperation
 Cooperation is characterized by a concern for the needs and opinions of others.
Although not the opposite of dominance, cooperation certainly occupies a
different realm. Whereas dominance focuses on the teacher as the driving force in
the classroom, cooperation focuses on the students and teacher functioning as a
team. The interaction of these two dynamics-dominance and cooperation-is a
central force in effective teacher-student relationships. Several strategies can foster
appropriate levels of cooperation:
 •Provide flexible learning goals
 •Take a personal interest in students
 •Use Equitable and Positive Classroom Behaviors

28. A. Provide Flexible Learning Goals
 Just as teachers can communicate appropriate levels of dominance by providing
clear learning goals, they can also convey appropriate levels of cooperation by
providing flexible learning goals.
 Giving students the opportunity to set their own objectives at the beginning of a
unit or asking students what they would like to learn conveys a sense of
cooperation.
 Giving students this kind of choice, in addition to increasing their understanding of
the topic, conveys the message that the teacher cares about and tries to
accommodate students’ interests.

29. B. Take a Personal Interest in Students
 Probably the most obvious way to communicate appropriate levels of cooperation is to take a
personal interest in each student in the class. All students appreciate personal attention from the
teacher. Although busy teachers-particularly those at the secondary level-do not have the time for
extensive interaction with all students, some teacher actions can communicate personal interest
and concern without taking up much time.
 Teachers can practices these steps to show interest:
 • Talk informally with students before, during, and after class about their interests.
 • Greet students outside of school-for instance, at extracurricular events or at the store.
 • Single out a few students each day in the lunchroom and talk with them.
 • Be aware of and comment on important events in students’ lives, such as participation in sports,
drama, or other extracurricular activities.
 • Compliment students on important achievements in and outside of school.
 • Meet students at the door as they come into class; greet each one by name.

30. C. Use Equitable and Positive Classroom
Behaviors
 Programs like Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement emphasize the importance of the fine
ways in which teachers can communicate their interest in students.Teachers should, for example,
 • Make eye contact with each student. Teachers can make eye contact by scanning the entire room
as they speak and by freely moving about all sections of the room.
 • Deliberately move toward and stand close to each student during the class period. Make sure that
the seating arrangement allows the teacher and students clear and easy ways to move around the
room.
 • Attribute the ownership of ideas to the students who initiated them. For instance, in a discussion a
teacher might say, “Alia just added to Saiqa idea by saying that . . . “
 • Allow and encourage all students to participate in class discussions and interactions. Make sure to
call on students who do not commonly participate, not just those who respond most frequently.
 • Provide appropriate wait time for all students to respond to questions, regardless of their past
performance or your perception of their abilities

31. 3. Awareness of High-Needs Students
 Classroom teachers meet daily with a broad cross-section of students. In general, 12-
22% of all students in school suffer from mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders, and
relatively few receive mental health services. The Association of School Counselors
notes that 18 percent of students have special needs and require extraordinary
interventions and treatments that go beyond the typical resources available to the
classroom.
 Although the classroom teacher is certainly not in a position to directly address such
severe problems, teachers with effective classroom management skills are aware of
high-needs students and have a range of specific techniques for meeting some of their
needs. Marzano summarizes the five categories of high-needs students and suggests
classroom strategies for each category and subcategory.
 •Passive students fall into two subcategories: those who fear relationships and those
who fear failure. Teachers can build strong relationships with these students by
refraining from criticism, rewarding small successes, and creating a classroom climate in
which students feel safe from aggressive people.

32. Cont’d
 The category of aggressive students comprises three subcategories: hostile, oppositional, and
covert. Hostile students often have poor anger control, low capacity for empathy, and an inability to
see the consequences of their actions.
 Oppositional (refusing to obey instructions or to do what people want you to do )students exhibit
milder forms of behavior problems, but they consistently resist following rules, argue with adults,
use harsh language, and tend to annoy others.
 Students in the covert (private) subcategory may be quite pleasant at times, but they are often
nearby when trouble starts and they never quite do what authority figures ask of them.
 Strategies for helping aggressive students include creating behavior contracts and providing
immediate rewards and consequences. Most of all, teachers must keep in mind that aggressive
students, although they may appear highly resistant to behavior change, are still children who are
experiencing a significant amount of fear and pain.

33. Cont’d
 Students with attention problems fall into two categories: hyperactive and inattentive.
These students may respond well when teachers contract with them to manage
behaviors; teach them basic concentration, study, and thinking skills; help them divide
tasks into manageable parts; reward their successes; and assign them a peer tutor.
 Students in the perfectionist category are driven to succeed at unattainable levels. They
are self-critical, have low self-esteem, and feel inferior. Teachers can often help these
students by encouraging them to develop more realistic standards, helping them to
accept mistakes, and giving them opportunities to tutor other students.
 Socially inept students have difficulty making and keeping friends. They may stand too
close and touch others in annoying ways, talk too much, and misread others’ comments.
Teachers can help these students by counseling them about social behaviors.

34. cont’d
 School may be the only place where many students who face extreme challenges
can get their needs addressed. The reality of today’s schools often demands that
classroom teachers address these severe issues, even though this task is not always
considered a part of their regular job.
 Studies have found that the most effective classroom managers did not treat all
students the same; they tended to employ different strategies with different types
of students. An awareness of the five general categories of high-needs students
and appropriate actions for each can help teachers build strong relationships with
diverse students.

35. Don’t Leave Relationships to Chance
 Teacher-student relationships provide an essential foundation for effective
classroom management-and classroom management is a key to high student
achievement.
 Teacher-student relationships should not be left to chance or dictated by the
personalities of those involved.
 Instead, by using strategies supported by research, teachers can influence the
dynamics of their classrooms and build strong teacher-student relationships that
will support student learning.