TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS IN A TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED SCIENCE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO SELECTED LEARNER OUTCOMES:AN INDIAN STUDY

Abstract

The ultimate goal of teaching is to assist students to become independent and self- regulated learners capable of taking their own decisions. During this process the teacher has to perform many roles with main focus on communication with students. Thus teaching and learning can be considered a communication process. This communication process depends on the effectiveness of interpersonal behaviour of the students and teachers. In the modern educational scenario, technology is playing an important role not only in helping to establish this communication but also to enrich it. This study reports the use of Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) for assessing the students’ perceptions of their teachers interpersonal behaviour in a technology- supported science classroom environment in an Indian school. Analysis of data of 705 students from 15 classes provides evidence for reliability and validity of the questionnaire in Indian settings to be used at the secondary level. The same data is also used for studying gender differences and the associations between students’ perceptions of their teachers’ interpersonal behaviour with three learner outcomes i.e. their attitude towards science, academic efficacy and academic achievement which have been reported as significant.