This study aimed at exploring the role of student-teacher relationships in the educational, social and emotional lives of Form 5 students in Masvingo District. Student-teacher relationship is an important factor in educational research within pre-school settings and primary education, but remains largely neglected in secondary schools. The study was informed by a qualitative and instrumental case study design within the constructivist paradigm. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and reflective journals were used to collect data. General teachers, Guidance and Counselling teachers, educational psychologists and students were purposively sampled. The data were analysed using the thematic content analysis approach. Findings indicate that a decisive understanding of the complex nature of student-teacher relationships is not easy as the field is under-explored in Zimbabwe and multifarious. The participants described student-teacher relationships according to two dimensions, namely a democratic and egalitarian dimension and an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher dimension. The study further revealed that the personal characteristics of the teachers and students, the educational environment, teaching methods and the schooling community have a direct impact on the quality and nature of student-teacher relationships. In addition, the study established that a democratic and egalitarian relationship between the teacher and students results in positive educational, social and emotional outcomes in the lives of Form 5 students. Likewise, an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher relationship negatively affects the educational, social and emotional outcomes of students. Lastly, the study revealed that child-centred approaches, reciprocal power-sharing, the positive personal characteristics of the participants and positive labelling can help to improve student-teacher relationships in secondary schools. The study recommends that in order to enhance the educational, social and emotional lives of students, the teacher and students could share the learning environment. In this sense, students’ voices in the selection and development of teaching and learning activities are important and could promote a democratic classroom environment.
Hierdie studie is gerig op die verkenning van die rol van student-onderwyser-verhoudings in die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van Klas 5-studente in die Masvingo-distrik. Student-onderwyser-verhoudings is ʼn belangrike faktor in opvoedkundige navorsing in voorskoolse omgewings en primêre onderwys, maar word grootliks in sekondêre skole verwaarloos. Die studie is gebaseer op ’n kwalitatiewe en instrumentele gevallestudieontwerp in die konstruktivistiese paradigma. Indringende onderhoude, fokusgroepbesprekings, dokumentontleding en reflektiewe vaktydskrifte is gebruik om data in te samel. Gewone onderwysers, beroepsleiding- en voorligtingsonderwysers, opvoedkundige sielkundiges en studente is doeldienend bestudeer. Die data is ontleed deur gebruikmaking van die benadering van tematieseinhoudontleding. Bevindings dui daarop dat ’n deurslaggewende begrip van die komplekse aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings nie maklik is nie, aangesien die terrein veelsoortig is en in Zimbabwe onderverken is.Die deelnemers het student-onderwyser-verhoudings volgens twee dimensies beskryf, naamlik ’n demokratiese en egalitêre dimensie aan die een kant en ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-dimensie aan die ander kant. Die studie het verder aan die lig gebring dat die persoonlike eienskappe van die onderwysers en studente, die opvoedkundige omgewing, onderrigmetodes en die skoolgemeenskap ’n regstreekse uitwerking op die gehalte en aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings het. Daarbenewens het die studie vasgestel dat ’n demokratiese en egalitêre verhouding tussen die onderwyser en studente positiewe opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste in die lewens van Klas 5-studente tot gevolg het. Eweneens beïnvloed ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-verhouding die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste van studente negatief. Laastens het die studie aan die lig gebring dat kindgesentreerde benaderings, wederkerige magsdeling, persoonlike eienskappe van die deelnemers en positiewe etikettering kan help om student-onderwyser-verhoudings in sekondêre skole te verbeter. Die studie beveel aan dat die onderwyser en studente die leeromgewing deel ten einde die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van studente te bevorder. In hierdie verband is studente se stemme in die seleksie en ontwikkeling van onderrig- en leeraktiwiteite belangrik, aangesien dit ’n demokratiese klaskameromgewing kan bevorder.
Ndzavisiso lowu wu naxikongomelo xo kambela vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi eka vutomi bya swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko emoyeni eka machudeni ya Form 5 eka Distriki ya Masvingo, eZimbabwe Vuxaka bya muchudeni na mudyondzisi i nchumu wa nkoka eka rhiseche ya swa dyondza eka swiyimo swa dyondzo ya xiyenge xa khreshe, dyondzo ya prayimari, kambe i nchumu lowu wu honisiwaka swinene eka swikolo swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso lowu wu seketeriwe hi ndzavisiso wo tirhisa fambiselo ra qualitative na dizayini ya case study eka paradayimi ya constructivist. Ku endla tiinthavyu to enta, mimburisano na mintlawa yo kongomisa mbulu, ku xopaxopa tidokumente na ku tirhisa ti-reflective journals swi tirhisiwe ku hlengeleta datara. Ku endliwe sampuli hi mathicara ya tidyondzo to nava (general teachers) mathicara ya tidyondzo ta swiletelo hi mintirho, tisayikholojisti ta swa dyondzo na machudeni. Datara yi xopaxopiwe hi ku tirhisa fambiselo leri vuriwaka thematic content analysis kumbe ku xopaxopa hi ku landza tinhlokomhaka to karhi. Vuyelo byi kombisa leswo ku twisisa ku enta hi ku nonon'hwa na ku sohana-sohana ka vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi a hi nchumu wo olova, hikuva xiyenge lexi a xi si lavisisiwa kahle eka swiyenge swo tala eZimbabwe. Lava va nga na va xiavo va hlamusele vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara hi tindlela timbirhi, leti ku nga leswo thicara i munhu wa fambiselo ra xidimokrasi na ndzinganano, na ndlela ya munhu loyi a nga munhu wa matimba na vutivi eka vuxaka bya muchudeni na thicara. Ndzavisiso wu tlhele wu humelerisa na leswo swihlawulekisi swa muchudeni na mudyondzi hi xiviri, mbangu wa dyondzo, maendlelo yo dyondzisa, na vaaki eka ndhawu ya xikolo swi na vuyelo eka khwaliti na muxaka wa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara. Na le henhla ka swona, dyondzo yi kume leswo vuxaka bya xidimokrasi na ndzinganano exikarhi ka thicara na machudeni byi na vuyelo lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko eka swa moya eka vutomi bya machudeni ya Form 5. Kasi na swona, vuxaka bya ku tirhisa matimba ka thicara (authority figure) na ku vonela machudeni ehansi, swi na vuyelo lebyi nga ri ku lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko eka moya eka machudeni. Xo hetelela, dyondzo yi humelerise na leswo maendlelo yo tshikilela ku pfuneta eka n'wana, ku avelana matimba, na swihlawulekisi leswinene swa lava nga na xiavo, na ku nyiketa tilebule letinene eka vana, swi nga pfuneta ku antswisa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara eswikolweni swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso wu bumabumela leswo ku antswisa swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko
vi emoyeni eka vutomi bya machudeni, thicara na vadyondzi va nga avelana hi ku dyondza eka mbangu wa ku dyondza. Hi ndlela leyi marito ya machudeni eka nhlawulo na nhluvuko eka migingiriko ya ku dyondzisa na ku dyondza i swa nkoka na swona swi nga promota mbangu wa klasi ya xidimokrasi.
