The influence of student characteristics and interpersonal teacher behaviour in the classroom on student’s wellbeing

Student wellbeing can be considered a major output indicator of quality of education. A positive classroom climate can contribute to a higher sense of wellbeing. Interpersonal relationships between teachers and students are an important aspect of the classroom climate. This study investigated how student wellbeing was predicted by student characteristics, interpersonal teacher behaviour and achievement. 594 students from 55 classes in 13 technical and vocational secondary schools were involved in this study. The results indicated that those students who attended school because they were highly motivated learners reported a higher sense of wellbeing than those who attended out of a sense of duty. It also appeared that student perception of interpersonal teacher behaviour predicted student wellbeing. As a case in point, when students viewed their language teacher as tolerant yet exacting discipline, a positive relationship was found with student wellbeing. Students also felt better when their mathematics teachers were less authoritarian, but the cooperative component was still important.     

Easing the Transition for Queer Student Teachers From Program to Field: Implications for Teacher Education

Tensions exist between what some queer student teachers experience in the university setting, their lives in schools during field placements, and upon graduation. We describe a series of workshops designed for queer student teachers and their allies that were conducted prior to field placement. Participants revealed high degrees of satisfaction with the program and increased feelings of personal and professional self-efficacy. Participants reported high levels of experienced homophobia in their academic programs; as such, the workshops were a valuable “safe space.” These workshops appear to fill a significant gap for queer students and their allies in teacher preparation programs.