Abstract
This study describes the validation and application of an instrument to assess teacher-student interactions in primary science classrooms. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was modified to suit primary classrooms and used for the first time with a large sample of 2,371 Australian primary science students and their 121 teachers. The reliability of QTI scales ranged from 0.62 to 0.83. Teachers, who understood their student needs, were helpful, friendly, demonstrated strong leadership and allowed some student responsibility and freedom, were more likely to have students with more favourable attitudes towards science. The teachers’ responded to items about their perceived self-competence and their use of Student Outcome Statements (SOS). Where teachers had greater confidence in their ability to explain concepts, their students perceived them as being more helping/friendly and understanding, and less dissatisfied and admonishing. Teachers who were more confident with using SOS were perceived as being more helping/friendly and understanding.
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Fisher, D.L., Waldrip, B.G. (2003). Teachers’ Confidence in Primary Science and Teacher-Student Interactions. In: Psillos, D., Kariotoglou, P., Tselfes, V., Hatzikraniotis, E., Fassoulopoulos, G., Kallery, M. (eds) Science Education Research in the Knowledge-Based Society. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0165-5_42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0165-5_42
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