Secondary Teachers' Interpersonal Behaviour in Singapore, Brunei and Australia: A cross-national comparison

• Published in: Asia Pacific journal of education Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 79 - 95
• Main Authors: den Brok, Perry, Fisher, Darrell, Wubbels, Theo, Brekelmans, Mieke, Rickards, Tony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01-05-2006; Routledge
• Subjects: Australia; Brunei; Comparative Analysis; Cross Cultural Studies; Discipline; Foreign Countries; Freedom; Interpersonal Competence; Leadership; Measures (Individuals); Model for Interpersonal Teacher Behaviour (MITB); Proximity; Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction; Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI); Questionnaires; Secondary education; Secondary School Teachers; Singapore; Student Attitudes; Student teacher relationship; Teacher Influence; Teacher Student Relationship; Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Singapore; Brunei
• ISSN: 0218-8791; 1742-6855
• DOI: 10.1080/02188790600608208

This study investigates the reliability and validity of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) in three countries: Singapore, Brunei and Australia. The QTI maps student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behaviour and is based on the circumplex Model for Interpersonal Teacher Behaviour (MITB) that investigates the teacher-student relationship in terms of the two dimensions of influence and proximity. Students' perceptions of their teachers in the three countries are also compared. Results show that the QTI scales are represented by two independent dimensions and that scales can be ordered in terms of a circular structure. However, empirical scale locations differ from their theoretical positions as hypothesised by the circumplex model, and among countries. Differences in teacher influence and proximity are also found among the countries.