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Description
This study aimed to examine differences in the quality of student-teacher relationships between public and private schools, and to explore school policies and teacher characteristics associated with these student-teacher relations. Previous research has highlighted the importance of positive student-teacher closeness. However, a literature search revealed no research to date examining whether one type of institution (public or private) is associated with better student-teacher relationships, or examining what schools are doing to create environments that encourage teachers to foster relationships with students. The current study aims to fill this gap in the literature. Survey data was collected from 30 elementary school (K-6) teachers (16 private and 14 public) who filled out questionnaires online. Questionnaires assessed: student-teacher closeness, student-teacher attachment, teacher education level, teacher experience level, and school policy. Multiple factors were found to be associated with student-teacher relationships across school type; many of these factors were higher in private schools. However, there was not a significant difference between school types in student-teacher relationship quality itself. Factors that were found to be associated with student-teacher closeness were: school encouragement, teacher education level, teacher attachment ability, and teacher experience. These findings suggest that private schools are better at providing the resources associated with developing and strengthening student-teacher relationships. However, dedicated teachers at public schools may be working to compensate for larger class sizes in order to form equally positive relationships with their students. Study implications will be further discussed. Key words: student-teacher relationships, student-teacher closeness, public schools, private schools, school policy, elementary schools
