Good Teachers as “STAR” Teachers: A Qualitative Study of Contemporary Early Adolescents’ Perspectives

• In Event: Fostering Belonging and Identity in Middle Level Education: Equity, Empathy, and Engagement

Abstract

Research has established the significant impact of teachers on students’ academic and life outcomes, yet definitions of a “good teacher” remain varied, especially during the critical middle school years. Shifting educational paradigms have shaped evolving criteria for teacher effectiveness and influenced how students evaluate their teachers. This study examined early adolescent students’ views on the characteristics of good teachers, using qualitative interview data from 36 students in two ethnic-racially diverse middle schools. Using a multi-stage analytic process, our findings indicate that students’ conceptions of good teachers align most closely with criteria of contemporary social-emotional learning models, while integrating features from earlier educational frameworks. These are synthesized in the empirically derived STAR Model of good teachers: Support, Trust, Attractiveness, and Respect.

Authors

• Pei Wang, Boston University

• Tina M. Durand, Boston University

• Mitali Temurnikar, Boston University