Leadership Studies Ed.D. Dissertations

Improving Students' Perceptions of Teacher Care Through Teacher Professional Development

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Judith May (Advisor)

Second Advisor

Nermis Mieses (Other)

Third Advisor

Michael O'Shea. (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Patrick Pauken (Committee Member)

Fifth Advisor

Rachel Vannatta (Committee Member)

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine if teacher professional development focusing on ethic of care influenced students’ perceptions of teacher care. The study also examined if at-risk students perceived teacher care differently than non-at-risk students and if students’ perceptions of teacher care growth differed by risk status. The current study is of vital importance as it illuminates the chasm that exists between students’ perceptions of caring student-teacher relationships and teacher professional development intended to bridge the relational gap.

Four English teachers from a high school NW Ohio participated in teacher professional development. Quantitative data were gathered from 286 students who completed the Student- Teacher Relationship Student Survey (Wilkins, 2014) prior to and following the teacher professional development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven students following the intervention.

Changes in students’ perceptions of teacher care were analyzed with quantitative and qualitative data. A paired-samples t-test revealed an overall decline in students’ perceptions of teacher care, indicating teacher professional development did not improve perceptions of teacher care. Student interviews revealed significant changes occurred within student-teacher relationships during the study period. A t-test of independent samples was used to compare at risk and non-at-risk students’ perceptions of teacher care prior to and following teacher professional development. Group differences in pre and post-subscales revealed that students’ perceptions of teacher care differed according to risk status. Non-at-risk students reported higher pre and post scores on all subscales when compared to at-risk students. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), which controlled for pretreatment differences, did not reveal significant differences in gain scores between at-risk and non-at-risk students. However, results indicated that non-at-risk students’ perceptions of teacher care increased, while at-risk perceptions decreased.

Results suggest the Teacher Care PD was ineffective in changing students’ perceptions of teacher care. While some relationships improved, most students perceived a decline in teacher care. Students’ perceptions of teacher care differed significantly based on risk status, with at-risk students perceiving less teacher care than non-at-risk students. ANCOVA results suggested that non-at-risk students’ perceptions of teacher care increased, while at-risk students’ perceptions decreased, though these differences were not at the level of significance.

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