چکیده:
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between behavioral and emotional engagement of Iranian EFL learners and their attachment to their teachers. Both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of their relationships and students’ engagement have been taken into account. Questionnaire data provided by 311 EFL students and 70 EFL teachers was used to investigate the relation between (a) teacher-student attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (b) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (c) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (d) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ behavioral engagement, (e) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ behavioral engagement, (f) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ emotional engagement, and (g) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ emotional engagement. The analysis of teachers and students’ questionnaire data showed that teacher-student attachment was correlated with learners’ engagement. The student participants reported that secure attachment positively affected behavioral and emotional engagement while insecure attachment had a negative effect. The teacher participants reported that attachment with students had weak and non-significant relationship with their students’ behavioral and emotional engagement. These findings and their major pedagogical implications are discussed.
خلاصه ماشینی:
The Correlation between Teacher-Student Attachment and Iranian EFL Learners’ Engagement Hadi Farjami٭ (Corresponding Author) Associate Professor of TEFL, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of humanities, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran E-mail: hfarjami@semnan.
com Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between behavioral and emotional engagement of Iranian EFL learners and their attachment to their teachers.
The student participants reported that secure attachment positively affected behavioral and emotional engagement while insecure attachment had a negative effect.
The teacher participants reported that attachment with students had weak and non-significant relationship with their students’ behavioral and emotional engagement.
Researchers examining the student-teacher relationship have shown that it significantly impacts (positively and negatively) academic engagement (Buhs, Ladd, & Herald, 2006; Pianta & Hamre, 2009).
However, the teachers’ views about the relationship between their attachment to students and students’ engagement are not supportive of this connection, nor are they in line with the findings of the studies referred to here or in the literature review.
Past research supports the idea that teacher-student attachment positively impacts student behavioral engagement (Kerssen-Griep, Hess, & Trees, 2003).
From students’ viewpoint, their secure attachment with their teachers had positive relationship with their engagement and improved their participation in the process of learning English both behaviorally and emotionally.
The results from this study are consistent with past research suggesting that the quality of the relationship between teacher and students influences students’ engagement.