Teacher interpersonal behaviour and student attitudes in Brunei primary science classes classes

This study investigated relationships between students’ perceptions of their teachers’ interpersonal behaviour and their subject-related attitude in primary science classes in Brunei. Teacher-student interpersonal behaviour was mapped with the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and reported in terms of two independent dimensions called Influence and Proximity. While prior research using the QTI mainly focussed on secondary education, the present study was one of the first in Brunei and in primary education and one of few studies to use multilevel analysis. Data from 1,305 students from 64 classes were used in this study. Results indicated strong and positive effects of Influence and Proximity on students’ enjoyment of their science class and supported findings of earlier work with the QTI