Student perceptions of their biology teacher's interpersonal teaching behaviors and student achievement and affective learning outcomes

The primary goals of this dissertation were to determine the relationships between interpersonal teaching behaviors and student achievement and affective learning outcomes. The instrument used to collect student perceptions of teacher interpersonal teaching behaviors was the Questionnaire on Teacher Interactions (QTI). The instrument used to assess student affective learning outcomes was the Biology Student Affective Instrument (BSAI) The interpersonal teaching behavior data were collected using students as the observers. 111 students in an urban influenced, rural high school answered the QTI and BSAI in September of 1997 and again in April 1998. At the same time students were pre and post tested using the Biology End of Course Examination (BECE).

The QTI has been used primarily in European and Oceanic areas. The instrument was also primarily used in educational stratified environments. This was the first time the BSAI was used to assess student affective leaming outcomes. The BECE is a Texas normed cognitive assessment test and it is used by Texas schools districts as the end of course examination in biology. The interpersonal teaching behaviors model was tested to ascertain if it was predictive of student achievement and affective learning outcomes in a Texan non-stratified educational environment. Findings indicate that the QTI is not an adequate predictor of student achievement in biology. Nor is an adequate predictor of student affective learning outcomes In biology. This study's results were not congruent with the non-USA results, this indicates that the QTI is also a society/culturally sensitive instrument and the instrument needs to be normed to a particular society/culture and its predictive power established before It is used to affect teachers' and students' educational environments.