Eight Myths of Student Disengagement by Jennifer A. Fredricks

Author:Jennifer A. Fredricks
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781483359106
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2014-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Professional sensitivity. Another way teachers support students’ need for relatedness is through teacher sensitivity, or the level of a teacher’s attunement and responsiveness in the classroom. Highly sensitive teachers notice subtle cues from students and respond in ways that help to alleviate problems. For example, sensitive teachers notice changes in students’ emotions and behaviors and when they are having difficulty with an assignment. These teachers then make adjustments to their instruction to better support their students’ needs.

Teachers who express positive emotions in the classroom and model enthusiasm towards learning can also support students’ need for relatedness. In a series of observational studies, Julie Turner and her colleagues (Turner et al., 1998; Turner et al., 2002) found that teachers who were rated by observers as exhibiting positive emotions more frequently had students who reported higher math motivation, higher math involvement, and lower use of avoidance strategies. As part of their positive emotional displays, these teachers modeled their personal interest in mathematics and used enthusiasm and humor to reduce student anxiety during challenging work.

Finally, teachers can support students’ need for relatedness by sharing some of their own personal experiences. Davis (2006) found that students felt they had the most motivating relationships with teachers who shared information about their own experiences in school, their own personal difficulties with learning, and their families. This can help to make teachers seem more personable and relatable to their students. However, one challenge that teachers face is determining what information is appropriate to share and where to set boundaries.

STOP AND REFLECT

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