Social Perspective-Taking: A Professional Development Induction to Improve Teacher-Student Relationship and Student Learning

• In Event: Responsive Teaching: Practices and Models of Professional Development

Abstract

When a student is difficult to understand they are difficult to connect with and teach. Furthermore, they typically consume a disproportionate amount of the teacher’s time and energy. In this randomized-control treatment, teachers in an urban charter network participated in a social perspective taking induction aimed at understanding these particularly perplexing students. Months later, we found the induction caused teachers to put forth greater effort in their perspective taking, as well as improved teacher-student relationships with their identified student. These students also had greater academic achievement than their counterparts identified by control teachers. This study helps to illuminate the theoretical connection between social perspective taking and teacher-student relationships, and demonstrates how professional development can support teachers and improve student learning.

Authors

• Bryan Mascio, Harvard University

• Joe McIntyre, Harvard University

• Hunter Gehlbach, University of California - Santa Barbara