Interpersonal adaptation in teacher-student interaction

H.J.M. Pennings, J.M.G. Brekelmans, Pamela Sadler, J.W.F. van Tartwijk

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperOther research output

Abstract

We investigated how teachers’ and students’ interpersonal behaviour patterns unfold and adapt to each other over time, during the lesson start. Using a continuous coding approach, observers rated moment-to-moment levels of Agency and Communion in teacher and student behaviour during the first 10 minutes of a lesson in 35 classrooms. Based on the resulting time-series data we derived several indicators of interpersonal adaptation (e.g., entrainment of linear trends, synchronicity of rhythmic qualities). We examined to what degree the principle of interpersonal complementarity of interaction between people (sameness for Communion, oppositeness for Agency) applies to teacher-student interaction and how the specific professional role and status of the teacher would affect this. Our expectations of interpersonal adaptation were basically confirmed in the present study. In most of the 35 classrooms, teacher and student behaviour during the lesson start was consistent with the overall principle of interpersonal complementarity. The results were also in line with expectations about violations of the general principle, given the professional role of the teacher (e.g., refrainment from hostility). Our exploration of the relation between momentary interpersonal dynamics and long-term teacher interpersonal style supported ourconjecture that attention to micro-processes in classrooms (e.g., pattern of variability, anticipation of behaviour) adds to outcome-oriented, macro-level investigations of teacher-student interaction.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusUnpublished - 2017
Event17th Biennial EARLI Conference - University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
Duration: 29 Aug 20172 Sept 2017
https://earli.org/earli-2017

Conference

Conference17th Biennial EARLI Conference
Abbreviated titleEARLI 2017
Country/TerritoryFinland
CityTampere
Period29/08/172/09/17
Internet address

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