A study on the relationship between teachers and students with special needs
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The impact of the teacher-student relationship on the child’s development proves to be particularly important in the first years of scholarization. Such impact is even higher in students with atypical development. Despite the clear relevance of the teacher-student relationship, researches have rarely encompassed subjects with special education requirements. The objective of this project, therefore, is to focus on the characteristics perceived by the teacher in the relationship with students with different educational needs. In particular, we describe the results achieved with different groups of children with special education needs, i.e. autism spectrum disorders (14) and Down’s syndrome (18), learning disorders (38) and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorders (72). To measure the teacher’s perception of the quality of the relation with the pupil we have used the Italian version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001) as developed by Fraire and colleagues (2013). The social bonds with children with difficulties differ for at least one relational aspect from those with children from the Control Group, the sole exception being children with Down’s syndrome. The Closeness dimension is hampered only in the case of the bonds with children affected by an autism spectrum disorder. On the contrary, relationships with children affected by frequent distraction and hyperactivism-related disorders are characterized by a higher level of Conflict and Dependency. Both dimensions increase in presence of high levels of pupil distraction, whereas only Conflict is at stake in presence of hyperactivity. As to children with learning disorders, only a difference in the Dependency dimension has been registered. These children, in fact, are seen by the teacher as being less autonomous than their classmates and thus requiring more frequent support and assistance.
Downloads
Article Details
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
References
Ahnert, L., Pinquart, M., & Lamb, M. E. (2006). Security of children’s relationships with nonparental care providers. A meta-analysis. Child Development, 77, 664-679. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00896.x
Al-Yagon, M., & Mikulincer, M. (2004). Socioemotional and academic adjustment among children with learning disorders: The mediational role of attachment-based factors. Journal of Special Education, 38, 11-123.
Baker, J. A. (1999). Teacher-student interaction in urban at risk-classroom: Differential behavior, relationship quality, and student satisfaction with school. Elementary School Journal, 100(1), 57-70. doi:10.1086/461943
Baker, J. A. (2006). Contributions of teacher-child relationships to positive school adjustment during elementary school. Journal of School Psychology, 44(3), 211-229. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2006.02.002
Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W. (1998). Children’s interpersonal behaviors and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology, 34(5), 934-946. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.34.5.934
Cassidy, J. (1994). Emotion regulation: Influences of attachment relationships. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59(2/3), 228-249. doi:10.2307/1166148
Cornoldi, C., Gardinale, M., Masi, A., & Pettenò, L. (1996). Impulsività e autocontrollo: Interventi e tecniche metacognitive. Trento: Erickson.
Crosnoe, R., Johnson, M. K., & Elder, G. H. (2004). Intergenerational bonding in school, the behavioral and contextual correlates of student-teacher relationships. Sociology of Education, 77(1), 60-81. doi:10.1177/003804070407700103
Davis, H. A. (2003). Conceptualizing the role and influence of student-teacher relationships on children’s social and cognitive development. Educational Psychologist, 38(4), 207-234. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP3804_2
Entwisle, D. R., & Hayduk, L. A. (1988). Lasting effect of elementary school. Sociology of Education, 61(3), 147-159. doi:10.2307/2112624
Fraire, M., Longobardi, C., Prino, L. E., Sclavo, E., Settanni, M. (2013). Examining the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale in the Italian context: a factorial validity study. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 11(3), 649-664. doi:10.14204/ejrep.31.13064
Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children’s school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72(2), 625-638. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00301
Hemmingsson, H., Borell, L., & Gustavsson, A. (2003). Participation in school: school assistants creating opportunities and obstacles for pupils with disabilities. Occupation, Participation and Health, 23(3), 88-98.
Henricsson, L., & Rydell, A. (2004). Elementary school children with behavior problems: Teacherchild relations and self-perceptions. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50(2), 111-138. doi:10.1353/mpq.2004.0012
Howes, A. (2003). Teaching reforms and the impact of paid adult support on participation and learning in mainstream schools. Support for Learning, 18(4), 147-153. doi:10.1046/j.02682141.2003.00300.x
Howes, C. (2000). Social-emotional classroom climate in child care, child-teacher relationships and children’s second grade peer relations. Social Development, 9(2), 191-204. doi:10.1111/1467-9507.00119
Howes, C., & Hamilton, C. E. (1992). Children’s relationships with child care teachers: Stability and concordance with parental attachments. Child Development, 63(4), 867-878. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1992.tb01667.x
Hughes, J. N., & Kwok, O. (2006). Classroom engagement mediates the effect of teacher-student support on elementary students’ peer acceptance: A prospective analysis. Journal of School Psychology, 43, 465-480.
Hughes, J. N., Cavell, T. A., & Willson, V. (2001). Further support for the developmental significance of the quality of the student-teacher relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 30, 289-301.
Hughes, J. N., Luo, W., Kwok, O. M., & Loyd, L. K. (2008). Teacher-student support, effortful engagement, and achievement: A 3-year longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 1-14. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.100.1.1
Kauffmann, J. M., Pullen, P. L., & Akers, E. (1986). Classroom management: teacher child peer relationships. Focus on Exceptional Children, 19, 1-10.
Lerner, J. (2003). Learning disabilities: Theories, diagnosis, and teaching practices. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Longobardi, C., Prino, L. E., Pasta, T., Gastaldi, F. G. M, & Quaglia, R. (2013). Measuring the quality of teacher-child interaction in autistic disorder. European Journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 2(3), 103-114.
Mash, E. J., & Barkley, R. A. (1996). Child psychopathology. New York: Guilford Press.
McVittie, E. (2005). The role of the teaching assistant: an investigative study to discover if teaching assistants are being used effectively to support children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, 33(3), 26-31. doi:10.1080/03004270585200301
Meehan, B. T., Hughes, J. N., & Cavell, T. A. (2003). Teacher-student relationships as compensatory resources for aggressive children. Child Development, 74(4), 1145–1157. doi:10.1111/14678624.00598
Murray, C., & Pianta, R. C. (2007). The importance of teacher-student relationships for adolescents with high incidence disabilities. Theory into Practice, 46(2), 105-112. doi:10.1080/00405840701232943
Murray, C., & Malmgren, K. (2005). Implementing a teacher-student relationship program in high poverty urban school: Effect on social, emotional and academic adjustment and lessons learned. Journal of School Psychology, 43, 137-152.
O’Connor, E., & McCartney, K. (2007). Examining teacher-child relationships and achievement as part of an ecological model of development. American Educational Research Journal, 44(2), 340-369. doi:10.3102/0002831207302172
Pianta, R. C. (1994). Patterns of relationship between children and kindergarten teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 32(1), 15-31. doi:10.1016/0022-4405(94)90026-4
Pianta, R. C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between children and teachers. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Pianta, R. C. (2001). Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: Professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.
Pianta, R. C., & Steinberg, M. (1992). Teacher-child relationships and the process of adjusting to school. In R. C. Pianta (Ed.), Beyond the parent: The role of other adults in children’s lives. New directions for child development, Vol. 57 (pp. 81-107). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. (1996). High-risk children in schools: Constructing sustaining relationships. New York, NY: Routledge.
Pianta, R. C., Steinberg, M. S., & Rollins, K. B. (1995). The first two years of school: Teacher-child relationships and deflections in children’s classroom adjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 7(2), 295-312. doi:10.1017/S0954579400006519
Robertson, K., Chamberlain, B., & Kasari, C. (2003). General education teachers’ relationship with included students with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(2), 123-130. doi:10.1023/A:1022979108096
Saft, E. W., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Teacher’s perceptions of their relationships with students: Effects of child age, gender, and ethnicity of teachers and children. School Psychology Quarterly, 16(2), 125-141. doi:10.1521/scpq.16.2.125.18698