Original scientific paper

Educational practice of boarding school teachers and the behaviour of boarding school pupils

Marijana Ćuk ; Učenički dom Paola di Rosa, Dubrovnik

Abstract

Education is the basic pedagogic function of a boarding school. Boarding school teachers are the primary means of fulfi lling that function, so the success of education greatly depends on their work. For that reason a research has been conducted in eight boarding schools in Dalmatia (including 352 pupils) in the area of boarding school education, aiming to fi nd out what boarding school pupils think of their teachers’ work and of the pupils’ behaviour in boarding schools and fi ve hypotheses have been tested accordingly. The research has shown that pupils’ views are mostly positive. It has also revealed a signifi cant correlation among the pupils’ relationship to the teachers, the pupils’ satisfaction with the teachers’ educational work and the satisfaction with the boarding school atmosphere encouraging desirable behaviour in pupils. The research has further demonstrated a signifi cant diff erence among pupils’ views, depending on the grade
they are in, the boarding school they attend and their gender. The analysis of open-ended questions reveals that what pupils appreciate the most in their teachers are the care, honesty, understanding, respect and kindness, while they resent getting up early, the control and strictness, inquisitiveness and anger. The pupils think that the teachers should pay attention to pupils displaying undesirable behaviour, as well as their own conduct. What they need the most is for a teacher to always be available and to trust them. Th e pupils are most grateful to teachers for everything they do for them and for helping them with schoolwork. Most pupils feel that socialising and social activities in the boarding school are most useful, while prohibitions, waking up, meals and idle time are the least useful. They think that were they in their teachers’ place, they would spend more time with the pupils, maintain order, allow more freedom, organise more games, entertainment, trips and other activities. These findings may help improve teachers’ educational practice since the pupils’ responses reveal what they need the most, what they consider necessary and what could be changed for a more successful education. This research opens numerous questions and new possibilities for examining boarding school educational practice that has not yet been sufficiently studied.

Keywords

boarding school teacher; boarding school pupil; boarding school; educational practice; pupil behaviour; boarding school climate

Hrčak ID:

113455

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/113455

Publication date:

20.11.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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