Associations between parents' and students' perceptions of the quality of teacher-student interactions in a New Zealand primary school

Abstract

This thesis describes effective teaching and the associations between parental and student perception of teacher-student interactions in a New Zealand primary school. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) has been used to identify the student perception of the teacher and a Parent Perception questionnaire (PPQ) has been used to gain the perceptions of the parents toward the teacher. This study is significant for a number of reasons. It is a first where the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) has been used in a New Zealand primary school to identify the interpersonal interactions of the classroom teacher. It will identify the students’ perception of the interpersonal behaviour of their teachers. This will assist teachers in becoming more effective in teaching and learning. It will enable teachers to identify possible professional development opportunities through interventions to assist them in becoming more effective teachers and students more effective learners. It will also allow teachers to see themselves through the eyes of their students and it will provide honest feedback for the teacher on which to reflect. Also, it will provide the current parents’ perceptions on the effectiveness of teachers and debate the impact this has had on parental perception of the school environment.