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Appropriate physical contact: The alignment of policy and male primary teacher perceptions

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posted on 2023-05-20, 20:22 authored by Vaughan CruickshankVaughan Cruickshank
Young children often seek acceptance and warmth from their teachers in the form of physical contact. However, this expectation can create fear and uncertainty for male teachers who are unsure of what is, and is not, appropriate physical contact for a man to make with their young students. This paper builds on previous research by ascertaining male primary teachers' perceptions of when it is appropriate for them to make physical contact with their students and examining the alignment of these perceptions with relevant policy guidelines. Findings suggest that policy documents may need more specific clarity about what is and is not acceptable physical contact for teachers to make with their students. The comparison of perceptions and policy can provide important insights into male primary teachers' knowledge of appropriate physical contact and could be used to inform coping strategies to help them persist in the teaching profession.

History

Publication title

Issues in Educational Research

Volume

30

Pagination

473-492

ISSN

0313-7155

Department/School

Faculty of Education

Publisher

Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.

Place of publication

Australia

Rights statement

Copyright 2020 the author. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Primary education

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