Uppeldi og menntun - 01.07.2008, Síða 53

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ÁSdíS HReFnA HARAldSdÓTTIR, SIgRún AðAlbJARnARdÓTTIR
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tice with regard to children´s voices. Journal of Teacher Education, 49, 372−380.
Watson, M. (2003). Learning to trust. Transforming difficult elementary classroom through
developmental discipline. San Fransisco Ca: Jossey−Bass.
Wentzel, K. R. (1997). Student motivation in middle school: The role of perceived
pedagogical caring. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 411−419.
abstraCt
This study explores elementary-school student’s ideas about a good teacher. The
participants were 10 and 14 years old from two elementary schools in Reykjavik (esta-
blished, new) for a total of 161 (93 girls and 68 boys). Both age groups answered two
open questions regarding the main qualities of a good and a bad teacher. also, the ol-
der students (total of 86) responded to a questionnaire about a good teacher. In general
the students referred more often to a teacher’s personal qualities and manners than
to his/her teaching approaches. The items most students thought were characteristic
of a good teacher were that s/he is fun, flexible, and good at both managing the class
and explaining the study material, as well as being good-tempered, nice/warm, and
helpful. What the students seemed to dislike the most was a teacher who is too strict,
bad-tempered/angry, or irritated, or who screams at students, as well as those who
are boring, and who treat students differently. More of the younger students focused
on that a good teacher is nice/warm, while more of the older students saw a good
teacher as being one who explains the material carefully, and is respectful. More girls
than boys seemed to appreciate teachers who are nice/warm, helpful, and patient. In
the more established school, more of the students emphasized didactic elements. We
hope these results will contribute to a deeper understanding of students’ attitudes
towards teachers and can be used to enhance the teacher-student relationship to inc-
rease student well-being.
Um höfunda
Ásdís Hrefna Haraldsdóttir (asdish@hi.is) er verkefnastjóri hjá Símenntun Rannsóknir
Ráðgjöf á menntavísindasviði Háskóla íslands. Hún lauk B.a.-prófi í íslensku og bók-
menntum frá Háskóla íslands árið 1980, prófi í uppeldis- og kennslufræði frá sama
skóla 1984, diploma í kennslufræði og námsgagnagerð frá Kennaraháskóla íslands
árið 2005 og M.a.-prófi í kennslufræði frá Háskóla íslands árið 2006. Rannsóknir
hennar hafa einkum beinst að samskiptum nemenda og kennara.
Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir (sa@hi.is) er prófessor í uppeldis- og menntunarfræði við Há-
skóla íslands. Hún lauk kennaraprófi frá Kennaraskóla íslands árið 1969, B.a.-prófi í
uppeldisfræði frá félagvísindadeild Háskóla íslands árið 1983, M.a.-prófi í þroskasál-