Identification the problems of teacher-student relationships from the viewpoints of primary school teachers: A phenomenology study

Introduction & Objective: Most of the teaching activities are done in the classroom by the teacher. Shaping each and every process and process in the classroom requires specific ways of doing it that make it easier to achieve the desired goals. One of the most important topics in relation to teaching and learning is the type of teacher-student relationship. Skills in building good relationships with others enhance our abilities and confidence, showcase our talents and achievements and earn the respect and appreciation of others (Tileston, 2010). Creating a rational teacher-student relationship in the school's network and communication system is an inevitable necessity that makes it successful in education (Farhadiyam, 2014). According to Liberante (2012), teacher-student relationships are one of the strongest elements of the learning environment. Teacher-student relationships form the foundations of the social context in which learning takes place and is a major factor affecting students' development, involvement in school, and their academic motivation (Hughes & Chen, 2011; Spilt, Koomen & Thijs, 2011; Roorda & et al, 2011). Many studies have found that a positive relationship with teachers promotes student growth and development (Hughes & Kwok, 2006). In contrast, a negative relationship with teachers impedes student growth and development (Birch & Ladd, 1997). Teacher-Student Relationships Provide a unique entry point for educators and teachers to improve the classroom learning and social environment. When children enter formal school environments, communication with the teacher becomes the basis for successful adaptation to the social and academic environment (Hamre & Pianta, 2006). Close relationships with teachers lead to healthy socio-emotional development and also lead to school adjustment and school success, and negative relationships lead to adverse outcomes including behavioral problems, school dislike, and adjustment problems (Pianta, Nimetz & Bennett, 1997). Importantly, studies that have recently examined the student-teacher relationship with the risk of students entering high school have not found a direct relationship between the student-teacher relationship and the risk of dropout, but there is a strong relationship between student achievement and performance with student-teacher relationships (Lessard, Poirier & Fortin, 2010). In general, school research emphasizes that good communication and dialogue between teacher and student nurtures greater awareness of student status, their needs, and potentials, as well as enhance opportunities for individual educational goals (Berg, 2007; Cited in Ottosena, Goll & Sorlie, 2017). Also, good teacher-student communication fosters student personal growth and identity (Nordahl, 2010; Whannell & William, 2011) and reduces the risk of dropout when students feel that there is a collaborative partnership with the teacher and the school (Christensson & Thurlow, 2004). Good teacher-student relationships are important for students with poor financial standing, students with poor performance, and students who are at risk for academic incompatibility. In order for teachers to be in the best position to meet students' learning needs, it has been emphasized that they have to demonstrate the ability to take care of students and that they are actively and eagerly committed to teaching supportive learning (Hattie, 2009). This implies that a good teacher is capable of adapting to each student's perspective and directs meaningful instruction to progress on a particular subject and to achieve the goals of the program (Ottosena, 2017). There have been various studies on teacher-student relationships. In a qualitative study, they showed that teacher-student relationships were associated with student dropouts. Claessens & et al (2017) Showed that teachers often define the quality of the relationship with the level of intimacy, rather than the level of mastery (control vs Lack of power). Soo (2016) identified four themes from the interview data: (1) Participant’s notions of ‘positive’ classroom management consisted of having students be involved and engaged in the classroom, which was manifested through a positive classroom environment, (2) Participants emphasized the importance of connecting with students both within and outside the classroom, noting its significance in effectively managing a classroom, (3) The teachers recognizing that student empathy towards their teachers and peers is an outcome of strong relationship building, drawing on the idea of teacher ‘disappointment’ in student behavior and how it can be used to effectively manage the classroom, and (4) The participant’s realized limitations and challenges of using the relationship-building approach towards classroom management. As students spend much of their time in the classroom with the teacher, and many of the problems associated with the teacher-student relationship occur in the classroom, it can be expected of teachers to be familiar with the underlying problems and be able to provide them with different solutions. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify the problems of teacher-student relationships from the viewpoints of primary school teachers in the city of Saqez. In this research we want to answer the following question in a qualitative and in-depth way:
-             From the teachers' point of view, what are the components of the teacher-student relationship problem?
Method: This research was carried out in the qualitative-phenomenology method. The statistical population included all primary school teachers in Saqez city. The sample consisted of 12 primary school teachers. A semi-structured interview was used to collect the data. The interviews continued until the theoretical saturation, and in interview No. 12 theoretical saturation was obtained and no other interview was conducted. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data and was used open, axial and selected coding for coding data.
Results: The results of the analysis of the interviews indicated 16 axial codes and 6 selected codes. From teachers' point of view, classroom management (discrimination between students, classroom management, teaching styles, teacher's attention to the student, distance between teacher and student), physical and educational space (inappropriate educational resources, inadequate physical space in the classroom), individual problems of students (low motivation of students, low self-esteem of students), General Educational System (Issues of the Educational System), parents' problems (school and family relationships, parents' lack of awareness of the correct process of education, parents' preferences from teacher and school), And problems with the teacher and the school staff (lack of teacher knowledge and experience, teachers 'personal problems, teachers' and school staff disagreements) were as a components of the problems of teacher-student relationships.
Conclusion: According to the results of the study it can be said that besides the teacher-student relationships are influenced by the problems in the classroom there are also problems and problems that are outside the scope of the classroom and are not within the scope of the teacher and student, so they cannot control these.