Social Support Giving and Teacher Development

Abstract

This book relates social support to the discussion of learning and teaching. It aims to provide sufficient information for researchers and teachers in the education profession to recognise the theories and practice of social support that could be applied to research and classroom practice, which will have an impact upon the learning outcomes of students and teachers’ professional development. Human beings feel contented when they perceive the environment as supportive; they feel competent and rewarded when they are engaged in altruistic helping behaviours. These psychological processes are found to benefit well-being and physical health. They are studied in health psychology as a key research component known as social support. In simple words, social support refers to the care and assistance available to individuals from another person.