Classroom Interactions: Teachers and Students

The definition of teaching implies an interaction between teacher and student. Yet, such interactions are often ignored for macro-level educational concerns. When scholars do consider these interactions, the research that they produce is largely divided along [Page 124]disciplinary lines. Education psychologists focus on linking specific teacher behaviors to student outcomes, or on explaining variations in such interactions as a function of individual-level attributes. Sociologists of education instead view teacher-student interactions as a function of the social organization of the school environment, and use these structural relationships to explain why teacher-student interactions matter for learning and achievement.

Research on teacher-student interactions often examines how these exchanges matter for students' learning and achievement, and how they vary with the characteristics of students and teachers. While some scholars recognize ...