TEACHERS CARING BEHAVIOR FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The Croatian educational system, like the systems in other countries, nowadays faces various challenges, from the increase of mental health risks and peer violence to students’dissatisfaction with school. In responding to these challenges, it is necessary to start from the contextual factors, such as the teacher–student relationship. Since a caring teacher–student relationship is a necessary prerequisite for the holistic development of students and their school success, it is important to identify obstacles that may jeopardize the development of such a relationship. Previous researches show that students and teachers in certain conditions perceive and experience caring differently, which may prevent the development of their closeness and connectedness. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present, analyse and interpret differences in perceptions of the caring behavior of teachers from the perspective of students and teachers. While teachers most often perceive their care in the professional context, students understand it in a more personal way.