Factors contributing to junior high school students' trust in teachers

Abstract

The purposes of the present study were to investigate junior high school students' trust in their teachers, and to examine factors contributing to such trust. A questionnaire was completed by 345 junior high school students. The results were as follows : In Analysis 1, (1) exploratory factor analysis of the Students' Trust in Teachers Scale revealed 3 factors : "sense of security," "distrust," and "validity of teacher's behavior." (2) The scores on "sense of security," "distrust," and "validity of teacher's behavior" were significantly different according to the students' grade level. In Analysis 2, (1) multiple regression analysis indicated that "social support from teachers" had a strong influence on "sense of security" and "validity of teacher's behavior" for each grade level. (2) "Distrust" was relevant to more factors compared to the other factors, "sense of security" and "validity of teacher's behavior." (3) Because "basic trust" and "guardian's trust in teachers" had an influence on "distrust" at each grade level, it was suggested that factors in the students' homes may be relevant to their trust in their teachers.