Descriptive Study on Grade 2 Pupils Relationship Behavior and School Adjustment As Perceived By Teachers: The Case of Jimma Zone, Oromia

Abstract

This research aimed at examining teachers’ perceptions of their relationship with pupils and the association of this relationship with the pupil’s school adjustment. Quantitative data on the teachers’ perceptions of the pupils’ relationship and school adjustment behaviors were collected from 26 self-contained classes for 446 grade two sampled pupils using standardized measures. The Ward’s method of cluster analysis identified the following three distinct pupil- teacher relationships, (a) positively involved, (b) functional average and (c) negatively involved. Likewise, the one way analysis of variance computed for the three relationship behavior scores showed statistically significant variation among the three clusters that designates the presence of three distinct pupil’s relationship behaviors. In addition, the one way analysis of variance for the school adjustment scores among the three relationship types resulted in a statistically significant variation. The pupils whom the teachers reported to have positive relationship show close, warm and interactive relationship behaviors with their teachers. Moreover, the pupils scored significantly higher in school adjustment measure than the pupils whom the teachers reported to have functional average and negative involvement in their relationship behavior. Furthermore, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis between pupil’s relationship behavior and school adjustment scores revealed the presence of a strong positive and statistically significant association between the teacher-pupil relationship and the school adjustment measure.