Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) is a model of human development that has been used in educational research as a theory for studying the dyadic student-teacher relationship (dSTR) in school contexts, as it considers the influence of different environments on a child’s development. In this poster presentation, the author demonstrates an application of the theory from her graduate research. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) model is adapted to provide a framework to examine how different ecological contexts impact the cultivation of the dSTR. Where the child is placed at the centre of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) model, the presenter is placing the dSTR at the centre and proposes an analogue adaption of each nested environmental level. The microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem of the dSTR are theoretically adapted with Bronfenbrenner’s call to connection and each level’s application to the development of the dSTR will be examined. The exosystem presents a significant layer to the researcher, as it beholds the ‘exo-scholastic’ context for her pending study. It is important to note that where Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) focus is on the child, this proposed adaptation focuses on the relationship in which both the student and teacher are participants. As such, the presenter draws on attachment theory, a prevalent theory in the literature on the dSTR, as a foundation for suggesting the link between attachment and ecological systems theory. The proposed adaptation of the ecological systems theory offers a new lens in which the dyadic student-teacher relationship can be examined.

Authors:
Erika Grogan-Graham, Ontario Tech University, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Erika Grogan-Graham is currently a doctoral student with the Mitch and Leslie Frazer Faculty of Education at Ontario Tech University. Her research focuses on teacher perceptions of using different contexts to cultivate student-teacher relationships.

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

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