Whether you've dealt with a hostile teacher yourself or had to encourage your little one in spite of antagonism in the classroom, we all know just how downtrodden a mean teacher can make someone feel.

 

From belittlement to favouritism, the misbehaviour of such teachers can possibly damage pupils' learning potential.

 

Now there's scientific evidence that antagonistic teachers have a tangible impact on students' achievement. A Communication Education-published study found that pupils lost up to 5 percent on tests when they were taught by a hostile teacher.

 

The researchers began by randomly splitting almost 500 undergraduate students into two groups. Half of the pupils watched a video of a lecture with a hostile teacher, and the other group watched a lecture free from antagonism.

 

 

Afterwards, the study participants answered questions about the lecture's content and completed a multiple choice test. The students in the antagonistic group had test scores that were up 5 percent lower than their counterparts in the other group.

 

And while this may seem like a slight gap, when it comes to reaching certain academic benchmarks, a few points can make all the difference.

 

Pupils who had to deal with a teacher's hostility were also less likely to put effort into their studies and were unwilling to take part in classes led by the antagonistic teacher.

 

As well, apparently a little antagonism goes a long way and can change how a student views their teacher.

 

"Even slight antagonism, coupled with otherwise effective teaching, can demotivate students from being engaged and hinder their learning opportunities," Dr Alan Goodboy, the study's leader, told Science Daily.

 

 

"So even one bad day of teaching can ruin a student's perception of the teacher and create an unnecessary roadblock to learning for the rest of the term."

 

Dr Goodboy also emphasised that teachers need to be educated on how to keep antagonism out of the classroom, as it can come in 'unexpectedly and suddenly, even without the knowledge of the teachers themselves'.

 

"We therefore need to ensure that future teachers are better equipped to recognize when antagonism may be creeping in, focusing on how antagonism manifests itself and working on developing more positive ways of interacting with students, even during times of disagreement," he added.

 

What do you think of the study's findings?

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