School leaders’ perceptions of teacher-student relationships and continuity of care, and their influence on classroom placement

Abstract

Teachers are being asked to learn more about students' cultural backgrounds, and to establish stronger connections between home and school. But are our schools organised to support teachers in this task? And to what extent is the teacher-student relationship at the forefront of leaders' considerations during the class-assigning process? What else are schools doing to provide continuity of care for their students? Research and literature on classroom placement identify a wide and complex range of organisational factors which school leaders may consider when arranging classes each year. However, the influence of relationships on classroom organisation practices in New Zealand contexts remains underexplored. This research was designed to better understand how primary school leaders approach the task of teacher and student allocation, and what influences their decision making during the process. It also explored leaders' perceptions of teacher-student relationships, provision of continuity of care, and how these understandings and practices impact on the arrangement of classes. A qualitative case study approach, primarily based on semi-structured interviews, was employed to investigate the practice and perceptions of leaders from twelve schools, in order to understand the complex phenomenon of perceptions of relationship and continuity in the context of classroom placement decision-making. Concepts of effective teacher-student relationships, provision of care, and the responsibilities for both, were perceived differently by school leaders, and these beliefs had an influence on the way they chose to structure classes in the school. Organisation of classes ranged from annual change, to biennial looping, to maintaining combinations across a number of years. Simultaneously, leaders highlighted the need for flexibility when arranging classes, in order to be responsive to the changing needs of the school, and driven by a need to maintain balance - both organisational and relational. This thesis explores theories of relationship and continuity of care as evidenced through the lens of classroom placement practices. It raises the need to review the nature of relationships in schools, and provides encouragement for those in education to reflect and evaluate their current thinking around current practice in an effort to create a more caring culture in schools.