Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school

Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Improving the Positive Relationship between Teachers and Students in School: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Crisogno Soares Freitas Pereira crisogno.soares.freitas.p@gmail.com

Lecturer at the Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores (ICFP) - Baucau Diocese de Baucau, Timor-Leste Abstract A positive relationship in the learning process between teachers and students will produce a positive atmosphere, where each member of the school feels warmth and joy to create strong determination in learning, mutual respect, mutual acceptance and mutual giving to learn. The climate of positive relationships affects all those who work directly in the school, such as teachers, students, parents, and communities. This positive relationship is a belief system or habit which becomes the core of everyday activities in school. The development of this positive relationship is an important goal, which is important to be given attention from all parties in the school. Therefore, teachers need self-development in a positive educational relationship with their students, thus becoming a culture that can create healthy conditions for students in the learning process to achieve quality learning objectives. Thus, in this academic research journal, it has the character of qualitative research which is based on personal experience (personal history) and public observation, which also wishes to share arguments from educational experts about the quality of teacher-student relationship that becomes a bright line in education which is very important, vital and very basic in the learning process. Therefore, this positive relationship affects the motivation of learning, learning outcomes and students well-being.

Keywords: Teacher-student relationship; Student learning outcomes; Student motivation; Behavior and Well-being.

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Introduction Naming the issue In East Timor, there are public and private observations which are strong evidence to explain that teachers relate to their students in an authoritarian, distant, unfriendly, and punitive way.

Therefore, raises the big question, could there be a possible connection between the large number of students who experience teachers relating to them negatively and the significantly high incidence of school students having to repeat grades, not attending or actually dropping out of school at an early age? In this research I want to address the issue of negative or positive teacherstudent relationships and their impact on student learning outcomes, students’ motivation, behavior and well-being. What does current research tells us about this issue? What lessons can be drawn from research findings and applied to the present profile of teacher-student relationship in schools in East Timor? I contend that addressing this issue is critical given the nation’s priority to improve the quality and importance of the quality of learning in schools, and the present educational realities confronting those concerned about the nation’s development.

Context: Teacher-student relationship in East Timor What would an objective observer in Timor-Leste schools notice about the quality of teacherstudent relationships? Quite likely this person would see teachers using negative criticism and humiliation of students, or showing little outward personal warmth or personal care for the needs of individual students. The observer would also encounter teachers acting in a manner that is judges unfair, arrogant, offensive, aggressive or sometimes violent in the way corporal punishment is used to discipline, correct or motivate students to learn (Millo & Barnett, 2004).

What are the origins of this negative style of relating or engaging with students? Could these present-day attitudes and behaviours find their genesis in the ideological mind-set and conduct employed by teachers during the Portuguese colonial period or the more recent Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste? Does the link go back further into pre-colonial Timorese culture Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Shah, (2009) says that, “conflict, in Timor-Leste, has been the construct of a long history of colonization and ideological oppression, rather than continuous armed warfare” (p. 3). Some authors indicate that both Portugal and Indonesia were typical of other colonizing powers in using education as a means of controlling and culturally indoctrinating the occupied people, thus choosing to ignore and displace the local culture with their own culture, lifestyle and values (Millo & Barnett, 2004; Shah, 2009). Ferre D’Amare (1979) states, “colonial pedagogy is committed consciously or unconsciously to the manipulation of being” (as cited in Millo & Barnett, 2004, p. 723).

Interviews conducted by Millo & Barnett (2004) recount student violence against teachers occurring because of the way Indonesian teachers graded, showed favoritism for trans-migrant students and were corrupt. A culture of violence was instilled that remains today, resulting in teachers being afraid to fail students for fear of violent reprisals (Millo & Barnett, 2004). Former Bishop of Dili, Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, once said, “there are special characteristics to the present culture of violence throughout Indonesia and East Timor, as there are to other places in the world where people live in fear. …living in fear, faced everyday with violence, creates victims paralyzed and captive to the past” (Belo, 1999).

Under both the Portuguese and Indonesian administrations, people with limited academic backgrounds became teachers, resulting in serious issues of quality of teaching. The more talented teachers often sought better careers because of low wages. Hence, these teachers were lost to the education system (World Bank, 2004). With the destruction of infrastructure and considerable loss of teaching personnel in 1999 that followed the referendum for independence, East Timor embarked on a dramatic reconstruction of the whole education system. A large number of teachers were employed with little or no teacher training (World Bank, 2004; Millo & Barnett, 2004; Shah, 2009). Millo & Barnett (2004) that these untrained teachers later complained because they had little knowledge about pedagogy, how to maintain discipline or Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

effectively transfer knowledge, thus opting, “to use forceful disciplinary measures to try to keep children in class” (p. 731).

Among other factors, poor teacher quality and poor input is recognized as contributing to high repetition and drop-out rates among students in Timor-Leste (World Bank, 2004; Creative Associates International [CAI], 2015). In the CAI document explained that the school factors which take part in the causes of student displacement for school are: repeating grades, not attended class, haven’t interest to go to school, the environment was not adequate, and also to note is the teacher did not teach well and the teacher was violent in educating. All of these factors are part of the academic category, which is one of the major factors causing abandoned children and leaving school in East Timor, which reaches about 12 percent (CAI, 2015). These statistics have serious implication for education in this country.

Contrasting personal experiences From my own experience as a student in a local government primary school I witnessed many teachers who used physical punishments and harsh words with the students. This did little to motivate any of us to learn. Hence, school was often not a happy place to be. I usually lived in fear of the teachers’ reaction if I was to make a mistake in my work, used a wrong word or gave an incorrect response. This atmosphere of fear and violence seem to affect us all, including how we would react with one another.

This negative experience changed significantly when I moved into a secondary school administered by an international catholic religious congregation known as the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB). In the Salesian school I experienced Fathers and Brothers who were mostly kind, friendly, and encouraging. They were teachers who showed personal concern for me and what was happening in my life. They motivated me when I was experiencing difficulties and gave me the opportunity to learn more than what I was being taught in the classroom. They didn’t use Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

harsh discipline like as a military used before as had been the case in my primary education.

Essentially this school was a place where I felt at home.

A positive way of relating – The Salesian approach As an adult, I now recognize that the way these Salesian men related with me was influenced by the life and educational philosophy of their founder, Saint John Bosco (1815-1888). Saint John Bosco’s education philosophy is known as the ‘preventive system.’ Key elements at the heart of Don Bosco’s educational philosophy are a loving, abiding, active, dynamic, familial, happy, serene, hospitable presence among children and young people (Lydon, 2009). Saint John Bosco once said, “what matters is not that young people be loved, but that they know that they are loved” (as cited by Petitclerc, 2009, p. 4). Lydon (2009) maintains that for Don Bosco, the educator, “must establish an abiding presence with young people … to associate with young people not simply in the role of a teacher but as a brother or friend” (pp. 48-49). The Salesian ethos, according to Lydon (2009) consists primarily in: Creating a happy and serene educational environment … The quality of relationships existing in an institutions was by definition, intrinsic to the whole process. …Dialogue was the starting point which, for Bosco, could only take place if there was a genuine personal interest in each individual pupil (p. 50).

Lydon accurately describes the Salesian spirit I experienced among these men and the positive way they related to us students.

Why addressing this issue is important for education in East Timor?

From the perspective of both my own and other people’s experiences and observations, students are either negatively or positively affected by teacher attitudes, behavior and teaching practice, both in and outside the classroom. With the high incidence of negative or distant teacher-student relationships, poor teacher quality and significantly large numbers of students repeating grades or dropping out of school, the education sector in East Timor faces a significant issue that Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

requires a fundamental cultural change if the quality of education is to improve. My experience of the Salesian educational approach points a way to what is possible for positive teacher-student relationships in East Timor. Their philosophy begins to provide foundational principles and values that could underpin the kind cultural transformation required.

Literature review Looking more broadly than my personal experience and general observation, what does current educational research tell us about the impact of teacher immediacy and other interpersonal factors on students personally and their learning outcomes? Why is relationship important in the education of students? What kind of relationship will improve the quality of teaching and student learning outcomes? What should characterize the teacher-student relationship? What are the educational benefits of positive teacher-student relationship?

An overview: After a review of twenty years of research on teacher immediacy, Frymier and Houser (2000) were able to state, “the nature of student-teacher relationship are important to effective learning outcomes” (p. 20), or as Sava (2002) stated, “the pedagogical relationship is the heart of effective teaching” (p. 1007). A significant number of authors indicate there are several interpersonal variables that are positively related to student learning outcomes (Tevern & McCroskey, 1997; Frymier & Houser, 2000; Witt, Wheeless & Allen, 2004; Zhan & Le, 2004; Pongue & Ahyun, 2006), with teacher immediacy being one of the most important (Moore, Masterton, Christophel & Shea, 1996, as cited in Pogue & Ahyun, 2006). Witt, Wheeless and Allen’s (2004) thorough analysis of teacher immediacy conclude that, “even though students like more highly immediate teachers, and think they learn more from their courses, actual cognitive learning is not affected as much as they think it is” (p. 201). Therefore, while there is strong evidence that immediacy and other interpersonal variables impact positively on students and their learning outcomes, there is

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

some variance on the degree to which these affect cognitive learning (Witt, Wheeless & Allen, 2004; Pogue & Ahyun, 2006).

Research on the impact of non-verbal immediacy on cognitive learning showed no significant variance across different cultural contexts (McCroskey, Fayer, Richmond, Sallinen, & Barraclough, 1996). Of interest to teachers in East Timor, McCroskey et al’s (1996) study demonstrated that, “in less immediate cultures where the expectation for immediacy are low, the violations for these expectations by being more immediate will have strong positive effects on cognitive learning” (p. 210). Hence their encouragement to teachers in these cultures to be more immediate with students so as to enhance cognitive learning.

Some research supports there is no significant gender differences in regard to how students experience teacher immediacy and communication skills (Menzell & Carrol, 1999; Frymier & Houser, 2000; Witt, Wheeless & Allen, 2004). Frymier & Houser (2000) discovered that: While the correlations between communication skills and learning and motivation were greater for females and for males, the differences were not significant with two minor expectations. While males and females differed on what they view as important, they did not differed significantly on how they were impacted by these communication skills and behaviours. (p. 217) What does the literature have to say about negative teacher-student interactions of the type often encountered in East Timor? Some research indicates that teachers who use a custodial or autocratic approach to teaching, where the teacher-pupil relationship is impersonal, pupils are generally considered to be irresponsible and undisciplined, and where a mood of pessimism and mistrust abound, leads to teacher burnout, pupils developing negative perceptions of teachers, and negative attitudes by students to particular subjects and psychosomatic complaints (Sava, 2002). As Sava (2002) states, “unfortunately, these behaviours (negative control) are culturally

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

acceptable and determined a negative teacher evaluation as well as poor attendance, boredom or lower level of perceived academic self-efficacy” (p. 1018).

Why is relationship important in the education of students?

Within the broad sphere of educational research, a positive teacher-student relationship is shown to be very important because it contributes to the development of interpersonal communication skills (Frymier & Houser, 2000), helps teacher and student to be aware of their ontological nature (Giles, 2007), helps students to know themselves, their unique potential and different backgrounds (Alkins, 2008; Knewstubb & Bond, 2009; Warikoo, 2003; Boulton et al, 2009; Zhan & Le, 2004), affects the behaviour patterns of students (Tevern & McCroskey, 1997), including motivation (Pogue & Ahyun, 2006, Zhan Y & Le, 2004), impacts in several important respects of academic adjustment (Hamre & Pianta; Pianta & Stuhlman, as cited in Boulton et al, 2009), thus affecting directly and indirectly student’s affective, cognitive and perceived learning outcomes (Frymier & Houser, 2000; Witt, Wheeless & Allen, 2004; Pogue & Ahyun, 2006).

Zhan and Le (2004), state, “since human beings are social beings, each student’s sense of wellbeing depends to a greater extent on interpersonal relationship” (pp. 5-6). They go on to say: Establishing close relationship with others is essential for well-being and happiness … it can be used to reinforce desired behaviour by the teachers as well as to build self-esteem … which is an intrinsic motivation and one of the most basic of human needs. (p. 6) Therefore, relationship in a learning context is very important because it increases socially supportive relationship which also influences their lives emotionally (Murray, 2002).

While the teacher-student relationship is distinct, Frymier and Houser (2000) remind us it’s also important to recognize this relationship also shares similarities with other interpersonal relationship. They state that, “teachers and students go through a process of meeting one another,

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

exchanging information, and adjusting and developing expectations similar to what any two individuals would go through in developing a relationship” (pp. 207-208).

What kind of relationship will improve the quality of teaching and improving students learning outcomes?

Pogue & Ahyun (2006) in their study of the effect of teacher nonverbal immediacy and credibility on student motivation and effective learning found many researchers cited support for positive immediacy influencing student learning: Positive immediacy behaviours such as smiles, head nods, and eye contact by instructors have shown to increase student information-seeking strategies (Myers & Knox, 2001), extra class communication (Fusani, 1994), and cognitive, affective and behavioral learning (Witt, Wheeless & Allen, 2004), as well as decrease student apprehension (Ellis, 1995; Frymeir, 1993; Messman & Jones-Corley, 2001) and student resistance (Kearney & Plax, 1991). Scholars have also investigated and found positive correlation between teacher immediacy behaviours and student perceptions of teacher power (Plax et al., 1986), influence (McCroskey & Richmond, 1992), clarity (Chesebro & McCroskey, 1998, 2001), effectiveness (Andersen, 1979), and credibility (Chamberlin, 2000; Jasman & Koper, 1999; Tevern & Hanson, 2004; Tevern & McCroskey, 1996; Thweatt & McCroskey, 1998). (p. 332) Frymeir and Houser (2000), in their study of teacher-student relationship as an interpersonal relationship, found their results revealed strong evidence that: Effective teaching means personal communication between teacher and students as well as expertise and effective delivery of content. When teachers and students move beyond the formal teacher/student roles and begin to see each other as individuals, interpersonal relationship form. (p. 217) What does literature says about positive teacher-student relationship in terms of what’s appropriate and going to have the best impact on student learning? Zhan and Le (2004), say that, “teachers need to attune to the feeling of any classroom as a social place where students are individuals and mix with teachers like their peers” (p. 5). In contrast, Frymier and Houser (2000) maintains this relationship is no t merely a relationship of peers; “two differences in the teacherInstituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

student relationship are that it lacks the quality typically associated with friendship and has time restraints no typical of friendships” (p. 208). Tevern & McCroskey (1997) qualify this notion by stating, “teacher do not have to have all students agree with everything they say, but if the teacher engages in behaviours that communicate such a positive intent toward the student, it is more likely that the student will engage in more effort to learn what the teacher is attempting to teach” (p. 8). Researchers Jackson and Hagen; Markie (as cited in Noroozizadeh, n.d.), support this line of thinking by stating: “friendship between faculty and students is inappropriate since it would unconsciously lead the teacher to a dilemma which would either prevent the teacher from performing his or her professional duties or the student from being a true friend” (p. 4). Jennings and Greenberg (2009) put this into a wider context when they state: Social and emotionally competent teachers set the tone of the classroom by developing supportive and encouraging relationship with their students, designing lessons that build on student strengths and abilities, establishing and implementing behavioral guidelines in ways that promote intrinsic motivation, coaching students through conflict situations, encouraging corporation among students, and acting as role model for respectful and appropriate communication and exhibitions of pro-social behavior. (p. 492) What should characterize the teacher-student relationship?

Examining the literature three notable characteristics are often cited as key positive teacherstudent relationships. These are caring, empathy, and trust.

Caring: A number of researchers refer to the importance of teachers showing care, concern, warmth and friendliness toward students (Tevern & Croskey, 1997; Leonard & Leonard 2003; Zhan & Le, 2004; Slater, 2005; Cornelius-White, 2007; Giles et al., 2009; Noroozizadeh, n.d.). Tevern and McCroskey (1997) point out in their study on perceived teacher caring that, “students determine how a teacher feels about them by observing the teacher’s communication behaviours” (p. 1).

Bennett, (as cited in Zhan & Le, 2004) also confirms this when he states, “the quality of the teacher (love, concern for students) is more important than other teaching aspects” (p. 7).

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

The results of the Tevern and McCroskey (1997) study showed clearly that, “perceived caring generates more positive teacher evaluations and influences levels of learning both affective and cognitive learning in a positive way” (p. 8). This finding was also supported by Anderson, Norton and Nussbaum; Myers and Horvath; Norton and Nussbaum (as cited in Gilles et al., 2009) who state that “teacher’s communication style, notably their use of friendly relaxed, and impression making qualities, has been associated with students’ cognitive, affective and behavioral learning” (p. 2).

Empathy: Some research suggests that three factors are likely to perceive the teacher as caring about their welfare: empathy, understanding, and responsiveness (McCroskey, 1992). Tevern and McCroskey (2007) define empathy as, “the capacity to see a situation from the point of view of another person” (p. 2). When a teacher tries to understand and respect a student’s point of view, or the effort she or he is making to comprehend what is being taught, then the students are more likely to believe the teacher cares about them, which may in turn positively impact on the student’s motivation to learn and actual learning outcomes.

How much difference does empathy and understanding have on the actual knowledge gained by students? The extensive review of research on teacher immediacy and student learning done by Witt, Wheeless and Allen (2004) found that, “students who feel better toward the material and instructor believe they have learned more than is indicated by their scores on less subjective assessments of knowledge gained” (p. 188). In other words, teachers showing empathy and care do have a positive impact on learning from the point of view of the students, but the degree of difference this has on the amount of knowledge actually gained has been shown to be modest.

Trust: Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Another relational characteristics mentioned by researchers is trust. Petitclerc (2009), in a paper on the relevance of the teaching pedagogy of Saint John Bosco, makes the claim that “without affection, there can be no trust. Without trust, there is no education” (as cited in Petitclerc. 2009, p. 2). It means that, no affection between teachers and students in the process of learning; they will not build mutual trust to others how to learn together. Therefore, in the line of education we need to create the sense of trust with others for developing positive teacher-student relationship in the whole learning process. Petitclerc (2009) goes on to say, “an education based on trust is rooted in an unshakable faith in the capacity of young person to grow, regardless of his present difficulties” (p. 2).

Citing a qualitative study by Poplin and Weeres (1994), Cornelius-White (2007) said “students desire authentic relationships where they are trusted, given responsibility, spoken to honestly and warmly, and treated with dignity” (p. 116). Frymeir and Houser (2000) say that, “when communication becomes interpersonal, individuals treat one another will greater respect and trust develops. …When a trusting and caring relationship develops between teachers and students, a safe learning environment is created” (p. 217). Goddard, Moran and Hoy (2001) extend this idea further in their study when they say, When teachers, students and parents trust each other and work together cooperatively, a climate of success is likely. In contrast, when these groups do not trust one another, they seek to minimize their vulnerability. The result is disengagement from the educational process that comes at the expense of student achievement. (p. 15) A study by Sava (2002) on the causes and effects of teacher-conflicting attitudes towards pupils claimed three categories of negative effects: educational psychological and somatic. Sava (2002) says, “dysfunctional interactions may negatively influence pupils psychologically and somatically as well as educationally. Some possible consequences are lack of self-esteem, anxiety, asthenia, school phobia, conduct disorders, and learning difficulties” (p. 1011). Sava goes on to say, “the use of fear as a motivator promotes either defensive behaviours of danger Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

control processes. Both force students to become motivated to learn in order to control the danger or to control their fear” (p. 1018). Sensibly accepting it’s impossible for teachers to totally avoid negative control behaviours, Sava (2002) says, “we should limit such (negative) control since its use often teaches aggression, causes more physical responses (e.g. crying, muscle tension), produces only temporary effects, and determines negative emotional conditioning” (p. 1018).

The educational benefits of a positive teacher-student relationship According to Jennings and Greenberg (2009) the benefits of positive teacher-student relationships are that teachers are, “likely to be more proactive, skillfully using their emotional expressions and verbal support to promote enthusiasm and enjoyment of learning and to guide and manage student behaviors” (p. 492). These qualities “provide youth with emotional support, access to adults who are actively involved in their lives, and clearly defined norms and expectations for appropriate behavior” (Murray, 2002, p. 6). Carbonaro (2004) sums up well the educational benefits when he says: First, when students believe that their relationships with their teachers offer support and encourage student effort, they are more likely to try hard in school. Second, teacher expectations for students may also encourage them to try harder in school. Students may respond with more effort when they realize that their teachers aspire for them to attend college. Finally, teachers may be more effective in eliciting greater student effort if their students perceive them to be legitimate authority figures. A teacher may draw on his/her authority to convince a student to work hard because s/he believes that the teacher has his/her best interests in mind. (p. 6) Therefore, students able to respond with their conscience that their teacher has a great undertaking to help them to reach their auto actualization in the whole process of learning (Carbonaro, 2004), hence the outcomes of education inevitability for students through the positive teacher-student relationship are, 1. Increase the spirit of student’s will to attend class,

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

2. Enhance the spirit of academic qualification in students, 3. Reduce the attitude of perturbation in the classroom 4. Enhance the student’s motivation of learning 5. Raise the awareness of students to develop their cognitive, emotional and spiritual, and 6. Develop the teacher’s motivation to be happy in their vocation to help their students (Carbonaro, 2004; Tevern & McCroskey, 2007; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Lydon, 2009).

Conclusion Returning to the issue: The issue or problem this article has sought to address is the perceived harmful impact negative, or at least poor, teacher-student relationships might be having on the well-being and learning outcomes of a significant number of students in East Timor schools. This article has presented statistical evidence of a significantly high number of children in East Timor repeating grades, dropping out of school or not attending school on a regular basis. Some reports have mentioned that, among other factors, poor teacher quality has been cited as a likely contributor to the worrying educational statistics (World Bank, 2004; Millo & Barnett, 2004; CAI, 2015) What is yet to be established through a focussed research study is whether the way East Timorese teachers relate with students inside and outside the classroom is a significant single causal factor affecting student motivation, student learning outcomes and student well-being. Such a study would hopefully provide important objective data to clarify this question and so help improve the quality of education for the sake of the children of East Timor.

The review of literature on this topic has presented clear evidence from different parts of the world that positive teacher-student relationships do have a significantly beneficial effect on such aspects as a student’s personal confidence and self-understanding, the desire and motivation to learn, the development of interpersonal communication skills, and students affective, cognitive Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores – Diocese de Baucau ©2018

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

and perceived learning outcomes. Hence, positive teacher-student relationships are more likely to contribute to positive student behaviour and positive learning outcomes for students. By consequence, the teachers themselves are also more likely to be positively motivated; less stressed and enjoying their role among the children.

Teachers who choose to develop appropriate positive relationships with their students are more than likely to see their roles as facilitators of growth and learning than controllers of information and student behaviour. In this sense, the teacher as facilitator seeks to build and promote the personal growth of each student in a protective educational environment. In this scenario, the school becomes a hospitable, friendly and fun place to learn. Teachers are focussed on serving, positively motivating and supporting the students progress. This is contrast to the present situation in East Timor schools where many young children have to fend for themselves, and receive little personal care or interest from the teacher.

A way forward: Clearly, addressing the issue concerning the quality of teacher-student relationships in East Timor schools presents an enormous challenge at all kinds of levels within the education system.

Developing positive teacher-student relationships in East Timor confronts crucial issues in relation to educational philosophy, purpose and practice; the role of the teacher in the learning process and core values associated with fundamental rights and dignity of each East Timorese child. Given the present educational realities in East Timor, what is required is a fundamental transformation of the whole identity and culture of teaching. To try and bring about the kind of cultural change required would need a critical mass of those involved in education in East Timor (school leaders, policy makers, teachers and parents) to recognize something needs to change if the quality of education is to significantly improve. It’s not the purpose of this article to make specific recommendations of how this would to be achieved.

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

As this writer is presently lecture in pre-service teacher training at the Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores in Baucau diocese, East Timor, my colleagues and I have an important role to play in contributing to the transformation of education in this nation by helping form undergraduate students in an awareness of the importance of developing positive teacher-student relationships. In the context of the Catholic faith and the culture of East Timor, there is a holistic approach to teaching and learning in all programs. Our aim is to help undergraduate students to be committed to teaching as a life-long vocation, and to have a student-centred approach to learning that’s reflected in our teaching method. What is vitally important is that we not just teach the principles, attitudes and values to the students but we also model these in our own approach to teaching and the way we relate with the students.

One of the fundamental qualities important to positive teacher-student relationships is genuine love for students. This value is also underpinned by the educational philosophy of the founder of the Marist Brothers, who administer this institute, Saint Marcellin Champagnat (1789-1840). He once said, “to educate young people one must first love them, and love them equally” (Marist Brothers, 1998, par. 98). The spirit underpinning educational philosophies, such as the Marist Brothers and the Salesian of Don Bosco, urges all educators to have the student as the centre of focus of their concern, empathy and for the educator to be at the service in trust of the student in facilitating holistic learning. Hopefully these values will inform and shape the way students are educated in East Timor well into the future.

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Improving the positive relationship between teachers and students in school: Importance of positive relationship, type of relationship, resolution for positive relationship and its educational benefit

Boulton, M.J., Duke, E., Holman, G., Laxton, E., Nicholas, B., Spells, R., Williams, E., & woodmansey, H. (2009). Association between being bullied, perceptions of safety in classroom and playground, and relationship with teacher among primary school pupils.

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Carbonaro, W. (2004). Parent, peer, and teacher influences on student effort and academic outcomes. Flanner Hall, Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Department of Sociology.

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