Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2024

Document Type

Dissertation (799 registration)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Graduate Studies

Committee Chair

Kristen Carlson

Keywords

Master Schedule, Middle School, Teacher Student Relationships, Minnesota, Stage-Environment Fit Theory, School Structure

Abstract

Teacher-student relationships have been shown to have a marked decline at the transition to middle school (Hughes & Cao, 2018). The decline has been linked to a potential mismatch between middle school structure and the unique needs of the young adolescents that they serve (Eccles et al., 1993). This quantitative, correlational study explored the impact of school master schedules (i.e., school structure) on teacher-student relationships (i.e., TSRs) in Minnesota middle schools. The study searched for potential associations between student perceived teacher care and master scheduling type with the intent to fill a gap in literature and to help inform district and building level leaders about better fit middle school structures. Data relevant to the study’s independent scheduling type as derived from a researcher developed questionnaire. Data relevant to the study’s dependent variable, student perceived teacher care, was derived from the preexisting 2022 Minnesota Student Survey Data for eighth grade. Results showed no significant difference between student perceived care of students experiencing traditional middle school schedules as compared to those experienced a block. The study also revealed a lack of correlation between student perceived teacher care and instructional period length. The results suggest that master schedule does not impact student perceived teacher care.

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