Understanding Indonesian primary school teachers' social-emotional practice : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2019
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Massey University
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Abstract
Teaching and learning is an emotional experience and teachers play a crucial role in the
nature of this experience. There is consistent evidence that shows a significant relationship
between teachers’ emotion, emotion regulation and social-emotional skills, and students’
emotional, social and academic outcomes (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). However, little is
known about teachers’ emotional style, especially in an Indonesian context. This thesis aims to
explore the underlying dimensions of the Indonesian primary school teachers’ socialemotional
practices.
A mixed-methods research design was employed. The first, qualitative research phase was
conducted using classroom observations, focus group discussions and individual interviews.
Twelve Indonesian primary school teachers who were nominated as having excellent social
and emotional skills and 45 students were recruited for this phase. The observation notes and
teachers’ and students’ statements were transcribed verbatim. A thematic approach was used
for data analysis. Key emergent themes included teachers’ relational philosophies about their
work, teachers’ sense of duty to nurture students, teachers’ strategies to regulate their
emotions and teachers’ attempts to establish classroom harmony.
Based on the findings of the qualitative phase, two separate measurements to assess teachers’
social-emotional practices called Teachers’ Social-Emotional Practices – teachers’ perspectives
(TSEP-T) and teachers’ social and emotional practices – and Students’ Perspectives (TSEP-S)
were developed. Subsequently, in Study 2, multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster
analysis were applied to the data to produce visual representations of the structure of teacher-perceived
and student-perceived teachers’ social-emotional practices. In Study 3, the nature of
teachers’ social-emotional practices was further investigated by administering TSEP-T to 90
teachers and TSEP-S to 333 students. From teachers’ data, five highly applicable clusters of
social-emotional behaviours across five style patterns were identified, while from students’
data, eight highly applicable clusters of teachers’ social-emotional behaviours across ten style
patterns were identified. Finally, the associations between the identified clusters and styles
with a student-teacher relationship, student connectedness and wellbeing were explored using
ANOVA.
The findings across three phases of the study showed the Indonesian teachers’ social-emotional
practices as comprising relational philosophy, emotional relationship, nurturing, emotion regulation and classroom harmony dimensions. The resulting dimensions were
visually represented using “a jasmine flower” model, which allows this model to be discussed
and expanded. Findings are compared and contrasted with existing literature and discussed
with regard to the potential usefulness of teachers’ social-emotional styles for enhancing the
teacher-student relationship, student connectedness and wellbeing. Implications based on
these findings are considered for researchers and educational providers who together share
responsibility for improving teachers’ social-emotional practices in primary classrooms.
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Keywords
Teaching, Indonesia, Psychological aspects, Practice, Effective teaching, Elementary school teachers, Attitudes