Teachers' perceptions of parent–teacher alliance and student–teacher relational conflict: Examining the role of ethnic differences and “disruptive” behavior

Abstract

Although parents' relationships with teachers are considered to be an important aspect of parental school involvement, few studies have examined their implications for students' school adjustment. The present study provided further insight into the relevance of teachers' perceptions of the parent–teacher relationship by examining their link to teachers' perceptions of student–teacher relational conflict. Participants were 36 native Dutch teachers who rated their relationships with 230 Grade 4–6 students (59 Turkish–Dutch, 62 Moroccan–Dutch, and 109 native Dutch) and their parents. It was found that the perceived parent–teacher relationship could explain ethnic differences in student–teacher conflict that were previously unaccounted for. Moreover, the effect of the parent–teacher relationship was most pronounced for students with more perceived inattention/hyperactivity problems. Results are discussed in light of their theoretical importance and practical implications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ADHD, parent perspectives and parent–teacher relationships: grounds for conflict

“…The marketisation of education (Corbett & Norwich, 1997;Crozier, 1997), policy change (Tan & Goldberg, 2009) and the school effectiveness movement (Sanders & Epstein, 1998) support parental involvement in children's education. Teacher reports of high-quality parent-teacher relationships are associated with higher levels of child adaptive functioning, lower levels of externalising behaviour (Kim et al, 2013) and less student-teacher conflict (Thijs & Eilbracht, 2012). Higher levels of teacher contact with parents have been associated with increased student academic adjustment at the elementary and middle school levels (Seitsinger et al, 2008).…”

“…A judgement of 'bad' parenting can be made by teachers without any knowledge of actual home life or appreciation of differences in cultural values, lack of time/health and/or financial constraints (Lasky, 2000;Crozier, 1998). Thus, it is not surprising that studies of parent-teacher relationships often find higher-quality relationships between teachers and parents with shared ethnicity, socio-economic status and/or class (Thijs & Eilbracht, 2012;Waanders, Mendez & Downer, 2007;Crozier, 1998).…”

Parents’ Experiences as Predictors of State Accountability Measures of Schools’ Facilitation of Parent Involvement

“…Fishman and Nickerson (2014) tested the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model with parents of students receiving special education services and found that the only significant predictor of parent involvement was direct communication from a child's teacher to the parent. According to Thijs and Eilbracht (2012), these direct teacher-parent communications may not only improve the quality of interpersonal bonds between teachers and parents but also allow for the disclosure of child-specific information, which enables teachers to better understand their students' strengths and challenges and to use this understanding to promote student success in the classroom. The other variable found to make a unique and significant contribution to the likelihood of a parent's measure meeting the state standard was a positive statement by the parent regarding the quality of the special education services provided to the child.…”

RTI for Students Presenting with Behavioral Difficulties:Culturally Responsive Guiding Questions

“…Students who are adapting to new mannerisms may appear to be acting out or displaying challenging behavior but may actually be resolving differences between cultures. A study conducted by Thijs and Eilbracht (2012) found that Dutch teachers reported higher conflict with Moroccan-Dutch students; the researchers speculate that the cause is varying or conflicting belief systems. The Moroccan-Dutch are described as a collectivist culture (strong sense of loyalty to the group) and power distant, "implying respect and obedience for authority figures" similar to Western belief systems (p. 797).…”