Abstract
Project work (PW) provides one of the pathways for students’ self-inquiry learning and collaboration in Singapore schools. In this context, PW teachers function as facilitators. This study investigated quantitatively how a group of 270 secondary-school students (aged 14 years) perceived their seven PW teacher-facilitators’ face-to-face interactions with students based on the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), and whether their perceptions of teacher–student interaction during PW classrooms were related with their attitudes towards PW learning as a whole. Seven out of eight QTI scales were associated with Enjoyment of Project Work Lessons and two QTI scales were associated with Attitude to Inquiry in Project Work. The findings are discussed in terms of how teachers who function as facilitators can translate their interpersonal behaviours into effective teaching strategies for communicating with students and facilitating students’ learning in PW classrooms.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brekelmans, J. M. G., Wubbels, T., & Créton, H. A. (1990). A study of student perceptions of physics teacher behavior. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 335–350.
Fisher, D. L., Fraser, B. J., & Rickards, T. W. (1997a, April). Gender and cultural differences in teacher–student interpersonal behavior. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, Chicago.
Fisher, D. L., Henderson, D., & Fraser, B. J. (1995). Interpersonal behaviour in senior high school biology classes. Research in Science Education, 25, 125–133.
Fisher, D. L., Rickards, T. W., Goh, S. C., & Wong, F. L. A. (1997b). Perceptions of interpersonal teacher behaviour in secondary science classrooms in Singapore and Australia. Journal of Applied Research in Education, 1, 2–13.
Fraser, B. J. (1981). Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA). Melbourne, Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Goh, S. C., & Fraser, B. J. (1996). Validation of an elementary school version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction. Psychological Reports, 79, 512–522.
Goh, S. C., & Fraser, B. J. (1998). Teacher interpersonal behaviour, classroom environment and student outcomes in primary mathematics in Singapore. Learning Environments Research, 1, 199–229.
Goh, S. C., & Fraser, B. J. (2000). Teacher interpersonal behaviour and elementary students’ outcomes. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 14, 216–231.
Goh, S. C., Young, D. J., & Fraser, B. J. (1995). Psychosocial climate and student outcomes in elementary mathematics classrooms: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Experimental Education, 64, 29–40.
Khine, M. S., & Fisher, D. L. (2003). Teacher–student interactions in science classrooms in Brunei. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 38, 21–28.
Kim, H. B., Fisher, D. L., & Fraser, B. J. (2000). Classroom environment and teacher interpersonal behaviour in secondary school classes in Korea. Evaluation and Research in Education, 14, 3–22.
Klopfer, L. E. (1971). Evaluation of learning in science. In B. S. Bloom, J. T. Hastings, & G. F. Madaus (Eds.), Handbook on formative and summative evaluation of student learning (pp. 559–642). New York: McGraw Hill.
Koul, R. B., & Fisher, D. L. (2005). Cultural background and students’ perceptions of science classroom learning environment and teacher interpersonal behaviour in Jammu, India. Learning Environments Research, 8, 195–211.
Kremer-Hayon, L., & Wubbels, Th. (1992). Interpersonal relationships of cooperation teachers and student teachers’ satisfaction with supervision. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 27, 31–38.
Leary, T. (1957). An interpersonal diagnosis of personality. New York: Ronald Press Company.
Lee, S. S. U., Fraser, B. J., & Fisher, D. L. (2003). Teacher–student interactions in Korean high school science classrooms. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1, 67–85.
Ministry of Education. (2000). Project work. Singapore: Ministry of Education. Retrieved March 15, 2005, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/projectwork
Quek, C. L., & Wong, F. L. A. (2002). Is my Project Work classroom environment conducive for student collaboration? Teaching and Learning, 23, 107–118.
Quek, C. L., Wong, F. L. A., & Fraser, B. J. (2005a). Teacher–student interaction and students’ attitudes towards chemistry in laboratory classrooms in Singapore. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 40(1), 18–28.
Quek, C. L, Wong, F. L. A., & Fraser, B. J. (2005b). Student perceptions of chemistry laboratory learning environments, student–teacher interactions and attitudes in secondary school gifted education classes in Singapore. Research in Science Education, 35, 299–321.
Riah, H., Fraser, B. J., & Rickards, T. (1997, June). Interpersonal teacher behaviour in chemistry classes in Brunei Darussalam’s secondary schools. Paper presented at the international seminar on Innovations in Science and Mathematics Curricula, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.
Rickards, T. W., Fisher, D. L., Goh, S. C., & Wong, A. F. L. (1997, January). Perceptions of interpersonal teacher behaviour in secondary science classes: A cross-national perspective. Paper presented at the international conference on Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Scott, R. H., & Fisher, D. L. (2004). Development, validation and application of a Malay translation of an elementary version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction. Research in Science Education, 34, 173–194.
Soerjaningsih, W., Fraser, B. J., & Aldridge, J. (2001, December). Learning environment, teacher–student interpersonal behaviour and achievement among university students in Indonesia. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Fremantle, Australia.
Wubbels, T. (1993). Teacher–student relationships in science and mathematics classes (What Research Says to the Science and Mathematics Teacher). Perth, Australia: National Key Centre for School Science and Mathematics, Curtin University of Technology.
Wubbels, T., Brekelmans, M., & Hooymayers, H. P. (1991). Interpersonal teacher behaviour in the classroom. In B. J. Fraser & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Educational environments: Evaluation, antecedents and consequences (pp. 141–160). London: Pergamon.
Wubbels, T., Créton, H., Levy, J., & Hooymayers, H. (1993). The model for interpersonal teacher behavior. In T. Wubbels & J. Levy (Eds.), Do you know what you look like?: Interpersonal relationships in education (pp. 13–28). London: Falmer Press.
Wubbels, T., & Levy, J. (1991). A comparison of interpersonal behaviour of Dutch and American teachers. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 15, 1–18.
Yip, M. F., Quek, C. L., Seet, Y. L. B., & Wong, F. L. A. (2003). How do Singapore and German students collaborate using online discussions in classroom project work? Teaching and Learning, 24, 169–179.
Acknowledgements
This research is made possible by the funding obtained from the Education Research Fund EP 3/02 QCL: Student Centred Learning in the Context of Project Work—A Value Added Research Study awarded by the Ministry of Education, Singapore.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quek, CL., Wong, A.F.L., Divaharan, S. et al. Secondary school students’ perceptions of teacher–student interaction and students’ attitudes towards project work. Learning Environ Res 10, 177–187 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-007-9030-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-007-9030-3