Students and teachers’ perceptions of conflict and power

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Catherine D. Ennis, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Social and economic changes have altered the traditional view of the teacher as the primary power holder in the classrooms making way for a reciprocal power relationship with students in which students and teachers share control of the learning environment. This study examined four urban high school teachers' and their students' perceptions of power. Data were collected through class observations and interviews and were analyzed via constant comparison. Teachers and students attempted to resolve the perceived conflict of interest over preferred class focus by using the power resources available to them. Students reported using non-participation, personality power, disruptions, and teacher rewards to influence the class. Teachers felt their power had eroded, yet they were pressured by administrators in their schools to maintain order. They used strategies of strategic withdrawal and student rewards to pursue their values. The mutual influence on one another resulted in a negotiated curriculum of order, rather than education.

Additional Information

Publication
Teaching and Teacher Education, 13, 541-553.
Language: English
Date: 1997
Keywords
Power, Education, Teachers, Students, Attitudes, Perceptions

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