Teacher approachability in higher education: determining its characteristics and their connection with teacher attachment styles, wellbeing and spirituality
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Date
2015
Authors
Sabir, Fizza
Editors
Advisors
Matthews, Robert Samuel
Green, Ian
Green, Ian
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Theses
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Abstract
This research explored both teacher and student perceptions of teacher approachability and unapproachability in the Information Technology (IT) and Education departments at a public university in Pakistan. The theoretical framework of this thesis was a phenomenological approach. One aim of the research was to determine the criteria students use to define teacher approachability and unapproachability. Sixteen final semester students (the entire cohort) in the undergraduate programmes of the IT and Education departments at the same university were interviewed to gather student perceptions of teacher approachability and unapproachability. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants of the IT department identified four themes of characteristics for approachable teachers and three themes for unapproachable teachers. While with the Education department, three themes emerged for characteristics of approachable teachers and two for unapproachable teachers. In addition, an absence of characteristics was highlighted by students for approachable teachers. Unlike past research, this thesis highlights these absent characteristics and is a valuable contribution to the field. Similarities and differences that determine teacher approachability and unapproachability in IT and Education departments are discussed. This research concludes that teachers’ personal characteristics are given meaning by students with reference to the context in which their relationship experiences takes place. An important finding of this research is that teacher training does not guarantee teacher understanding of student needs, nor the will to act in an approachable manner. Another aim of this research was to examine teachers’ attachment styles, level of wellbeing and spirituality as explanatory factors of teacher approachability and unapproachability. Teacher interviews included a range of questions related to relationship style with students, wellbeing, spirituality, self-perceptions and other personal qualities of potential relevance to approachability. Teachers were also administered two questionnaires to determine relationship style and wellbeing. Originally, twelve teachers from the IT department and nine from the Education Department were interviewed for this research. However, student interviews focused on nine teachers in IT and five in Education. Hence, these fourteen teacher interviews were included in this research resulting in teacher case-studies that described characteristics that determine teacher approachability and unapproachability as identified by students, student perceptions and experiences with teachers, teachers’ self-perceptions, attachment style, wellbeing and spirituality. Findings show that a relationship exists between approachability, secure attachment style, high level of wellbeing and spirituality. This relationship has not been explored in past research and it is hoped that further research in this area may lead to the design of training courses and workshops for in-service and pre-service teachers highlighting the indicators of approachability and understanding its significance.
School/Discipline
School of Education
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 2015.
Provenance
This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals