Love, Trust, and Camaraderie: Teachers’ Perspectives of Care in an Urban High School

Abstract

Many scholars have found that student–teacher relationships are an integral part to student success in schools. The quality of relationships has implications for student engagement and performance. The most successful student–teacher relationships have characteristics of the ethic of care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of care of two teachers within a peer learning structured STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classroom in an urban high school. In the Peer Enabled Restructured Class (PERC), student facilitators work with teachers to lead instruction. The findings indicated that teachers saw themselves as caring, but their articulations of care varied from authentic care to aesthetic care. The study has implications for teacher preparation and practice as teachers who are prepared and knowledgeable about the importance of relationships and care have the potential for better success with their students.