Out of the Mouths of Babes: Eighth-Grade Students’ Perspectives of Good Teachers
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Authors
Luke, Larkie H.
Issue Date
2020-07
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Dissertations, Academic--United States , Middle school students--Attitudes , Middle schools , Georgia , Rural schools , Student evaluation of teachers , Teacher effectiveness , Teachers
Alternative Title
Abstract
In this study, I used a qualitative design with a constant comparison of data to gain an in-depth understanding of rural South Georgia eighth-grade students’ perceptions of good teachers. Students (n=211) on three teaching teams participated in the research, which used a constructivist grounded theory approach. Students completed a good teacher project that included an essay, cinquain, and metaphors about the same good teacher. I analyzed and compared writings by grade group, teams, and type of writing. This yielded 301descriptors of good teachers, which generated 97 descriptor groups that were arranged into 20 conceptual categories. Three core categories: personal, professional, and interpersonal attributes surfaced as qualities this group of students deemed necessary for good teachers. Each core category included multiple conceptual categories. Personal attributes of good teachers consisted of seven conceptual category groups: fun/happy, nice, charismatic, strong, pretty religious, and humble; professional attributes consisted of nine category groups: teaching skills, knowledgeable, dedicated, patient, interesting, leader, successful, proud, and perfectionist; and interpersonal attributes had four conceptual category groups: caring/loving, helpful, inspiring, and interacting. I developed a theory about good teachers grounded in the perspectives of the participants. For these eighth-grade students a good teacher has both personal and teaching attributes; a good teacher was not one or the other, and they used interpersonal attributes to build relationships with the students within the other two core categories.
Keywords: good teacher qualities; effective teachers; good teacher characteristics; good teacher attributes; students' perceptions;
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.