Authority and personal relationships in the primary classroom

Abstract

In the opening two chapters of this dissertation I first discussed the authority of the teacher in the classroom and argued that it is necessary in order for learning to take place as long as it is authoritative and not authoritarian. Then I discussed the relationship between pupils and the teacher and the importance of mutual respect and personal attitudes between them. Finally, I discussed whether this relationship can be 'personal'. In the third chapter I discussed whether it is possible for the teacher to be in authority and have a personal relationship with the pupils at the same time. I backed up my arguments with ethnographic research which was carried out in three different classes in a primary school. The research consisted of participant observation and interviewing teachers. From the considerably large amount of data gathered, I picked out the most relevant parts to back up the arguments in the dissertation. And I concluded that the teacher needs and should be in authority and cultivate a personal relationship with the pupils. For when both authority and personal relationships are present and the teacher strikes a balance between the two, actual learning takes place.