Abstract
This article attempts to use Andy Hargreaves’ theoretical framework of emotional geographies to analyze teachers’ perceptions of their interactions with parents in Taiwan. Based on the qualitative interviews with three primary teachers, the research findings show that teachers’ emotional distances from parents were intertwined with parents’ sociocultural status, teachers’ moral purposes, teachers’ notions of professionalism, teachers’ political pretense, and the frequency to contact parents. Thus, Hargreaves’ framework could be a useful tool to explore teacher–parent interactions. The paper closes with suggestions for policy considerations.
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Acknowledgments
The authors of this paper would like to express their gratitude to the National Science Council (NSC) in Taiwan for supporting their research project, Emotional Politics under the Context of Educational Reform in Taiwan: Emotional Investigation among Administrators, Parents and Teachers (reference No: NSC 97-2410-H-194-077). This article is partially modified from the research project.
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Chen, HJ., Wang, YH. Emotional geographies of teacher–parent relations: three teachers’ perceptions in Taiwan. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 12, 185–195 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-010-9121-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-010-9121-1