ERIC Number: EJ827295
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-0343
EISSN: N/A
Students' Attitudes on the Boundaries of Teachers' Authority
Yariv, Eliezer
School Psychology International, v30 n1 p92-111 2009
Educators in many countries are concerned about the decline in respect for authority by young people. The current study explores how children perceive their teachers' authority, what the "boundaries" (limits) to that authority are, and under what conditions they may decide to rebel. Over 200 Israeli elementary and middle school students were asked in semi-structured interviews how they conceive the norm of obedience to teachers; what kinds of illegitimate commands teachers issue; what pupils do in case of disagreement, and what is the jurisdiction of teachers and parents inside and outside school. The majority (81 percent) accepted the principle of teacher authority but qualified it with several conditions: authority was seen as limited to the school area, parents were accepted to intervene in cases of severe punishment and teachers should avoid committing aggressive and unethical acts. The discussion identifies circles of legitimate (agreed upon by both sides) and illegitimate (accepted by teachers but not by pupils) authority practices. It is argued that school psychologists can assist teachers and students identify this circle of disagreement and solve discipline problems. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Elementary School Students, Middle School Students, Teachers, Power Structure, Teacher Student Relationship, Teacher Behavior, School Psychologists, Interviews, Foreign Countries, Compliance (Psychology), Social Behavior, Parents, Gender Differences, Age Differences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A