Acta Iadertina, Vol. 22 No. 1, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15291/ai.4847
Interpersonal Relationships in Secondary Schools: Students’ Risk Behaviours in the Light of Positive Teacher–Student Relationships
Ena STEVOVIĆ HAVAIĆ
orcid.org/0009-0000-2442-3567
; Technical School Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This qualitative narrative study deals with adolescent risk behaviours
and the influence of positive relationship those adolescents have with
their teachers on reduction or complete cessation of such behaviour.
The data collection technique is a focus group, whose participants are
students at the brink of both adolescence and schooling; eight 19-yearolds
from four high schools (grammar, art, three-year vocational and
four-year vocational high school) in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
This study has filled the void in methodology regarding this topic by
using qualitative techniques, with high schoolers as participants. The
aim of this study was to realize the reasons that lead to mild to moderate
student risk behaviour in elementary school, and how their high
school teachers can help them in dealing with it. The analysis of the
results was done through the aspect of content analysis with a focus
on specific student risk behaviours and the relationship they established
with a specific teacher, and through the aspect of the feelings and
thoughts that the participants attribute to their risk behaviours and the
established relationship with the teacher. Verbatim and narrative descriptions
were used. The results show that teacher’s help and support,
openness in communication, and going beyond the scope of teaching
and the classroom, even in one’s own free time, has a positive effect on
establishing a quality relationship with students and consequently on
reduction of students’ risk behaviours.
Keywords
adolescents, interpersonal teacher-student relationship, narratives
Hrčak ID:
334829
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2025.
Visits: 383 *