La relazione insegnante-alunno-gruppo classe nella scuola secondaria di secondo grado: legami di attaccamento e risorse nei processi di insegnamento-apprendimento

Aim of the present study is the analysis of the relationships between teacher, student and class group. These relations are studied using the attachment style of the students as main variable. We correlated it with following constructs: school Self-efficacy, Intrinsic motivation and Engagement in school activities. The research’s context is a secondary school degree of Verona; the sample consists of 321 students and 16 classroom’s teachers coordinators. The relationships build between pupils and teachers are one of the key channels in order to achieve personal and cognitive development. The relational aspects that characterize the learning have a strong connection with the promotion of a meaningful learning: where there is no adequate care report also learning is blocked. The objectives of the research are to investigate the specific attachment style students develop towards the class coordinator and the perception they have of him or her as a "secure base"; we investigate the general attachment bond of the teacher class coordinators; we investigate the relations that students establish with their classmates and their perceptions of the cohesion of the class-group; we investigate the students’ perceptions regarding their own intrinsic motivation and academic self-efficacy, their engagement and involvement in school activities. The methodology used is quantitative: two different questionnaires were administere, one for students and one for teachers. The research results show that attachment relationship to the parental figure is relevant for all social experiences at school: students with an insecure attachment bond (avoidant or anxious) towards the parental figure of reference, develop a bond of the same type (avoidant or anxious) towards the teacher class coordinator. Students with an avoidant attachment bond perceive, from the teacher, less Availability and Acceptance and Rejection towards their needs. The anxious attachment bond toward the parent and to the class coordinator positively and significantly relates to the avoidant and anxious attachment bonds to the group class: anxious students tend to build bonds of insecure attachment to their group class. The avoidant attachment bond, toward the parent and to the class coordinator, correlates negatively and significantly with the school Self-efficacy, the Engagement and intrinsic Motivation. The more a student appears to be avoiding, the lower is the perception of their school Self-efficacy, their Engagement and emotional involvement and Motivation. The importance of the relationship between teacher and student is reflected in the fact that the Availability and Acceptance factor correlate positively with the school Self-efficacy, with all three factors of intrinsic Motivation (Preference for challenges, Curiosity and Independent mastery) and both factors of Engagement (behavioral Engagement and emotional Engagement). The more a student perceives his teacher class coordinator willing to accept their own needs, feelings and behaviors the greater his school Self-efficacy, his intrinsic Motivation and his Engagement at school activities will be. The way that students have to live the school and meet the learning activity is strongly related to the perception they have of their own class teacher coordinator. School self-efficacy, intrinsic Motivation and Engagement are not only influenced by individual aspects, skills and knowledge, but also by the relationship students develop with their teacher class coordinators and by the latter's ability to act as a "safe harbour".