Research on student-teacher relationships over the last several decades has focused on the impact that such relationships have for the student. From such research we know that the relationship between a teacher and the student does promote cognitive and social development as well as academic achievement. Research has also demonstrated that classroom teachers prefer certain personality and character traits. It is plausible that these preferences contribute to differential treatment of students. Acknowledging that differential behaviors do occur, this study intends to explore the question of why they occur and to investigate what influence, if any, productive reflection might have on those behaviors.
The purpose of this research was to examine changes in relationships between a teacher and the individual students in her class over the course of one school year. Both teacher and researcher systematically examined concepts of closeness between teacher and student through productive reflection techniques, including the creation of diagrams to physically represent the tacit closeness the teacher perceived. In addition, observations of classroom interactions, personal reflections written by the teacher, and interviews consisting of guided reflection were compared and contrasted to discover differences between the perceptions held by the teacher and what is displayed in the classroom. The findings suggest that the teacher was influenced by the interactions with her students and that those interactions in turn may indicate significant implications for how, why and with whom she created and maintained relationships, as well as the type of relationships established. Results from this study expand on recent findings regarding the factors that influence a teacher’s choice for interaction with specific students by illuminating those social concepts and processes that persuade teachers as they make relationship choices. This study concludes that classroom relationships are much more fluid than previously thought and highlights the potential effectiveness of using productive reflection techniques to promote change.