Application of QTI query to explore the opinions of teacher students of the Carpathian Basin about ideal teacher interaction

Authors

  • Kinga Horvath
  • Peter Tóth

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3311/ope.424

Abstract

Interaction is considered a basic form of interpersonal contacts from communication theory, psychology and sociology. The process of education can be understood as a chain of mutual impacts between individuals (teacher-pupils or pupils-pupils) (Buda, 1986; Morel et al., 2000; Dagarin, 2004; Vincze, 2013). Building on Watzlawick’s communication theory (1967) and Leary’s interpersonal behaviour model (1957), Wubbels et al. (1987) developed their own model and measuring tool (QTI), which is apt to describe and measure the teacher’s interactional behaviour.  QTI is focused on the complex examination of interaction in three dimensions. We conducted our research in the first dimension, which is the assessment of the ideal teacher interaction, using the Hungarian version of the 48-item measurement tool applied by Fisher et al. (1995).  Our objectives were to (1) adapt a Hungarian version of the QTI query, (2) map the opinions formed by the 358 teacher students living in the Carpathian Basin and having Hungarian as their mother tongue on the ideal teacher interaction and finally (3) detect the variances caused by the background variables. According to the gained results, (1) ideal teacher interactions are characterized by directing (DC), helpful (CD), and understanding (CS) manner, while imposingness (DO) and compliance (SC) are evaluated diversely. (2) Concerning the background variables (gender, specialization, country and type of secondary school), significant differences have been found only in terms of the last two QTI variables.    Keywords: teacher interaction, teachers’ interpersonal classroom behaviour, QTI, teacher training 

Author Biographies

Kinga Horvath

 

 She graduated from the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Comenius University in Bratislava in 1993, majoring in teacher training. In 2000, she took a doctoral examination at the Faculty of Pedagogy of Comenius University in Bratislava as a teacher of general subjects. In 2004, she completed her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Comenius University in Bratislava. She successfully habilitated at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Pécs in 2015 in the field of educational sciences. From 1997 to the present, she has taught the subjects forming the accredited study programs, and has led the work of final theses and scientific student conferences on the subjects of educational sciences, mainly in the fields of education management, general didactics, and pedagogical communication.

Peter Tóth

 

 He began his career as a vocational secondary school teacher in 1984 and has been involved in teacher training since 1994. He obtained his MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Budapest University of Technology in 1991. In 2005 he obtained a Ph.D degree then in 2012 he habilitated at the Doctoral School of Education at Eötvös Loránd University. In 2016, he earned the title of university professor. He is currently a professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the J. Selye University. He also serves as a lecturer and supervisor at the Doctoral School of Education at Eötvös Loránd University. He is the head of the doctoral program in History Didactics at J. Selye University. His main research area is vocational education and training and higher education pedagogy, with a special focus on teacher training. He has published in a number of books, journals, and conferences on these topics.

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Published

2021-03-10

Issue

Section

Comparative Outlook