The Image of School and Teachers in Retrospective Research

Abstract

The aim of this article is the analysis of the quality of the image of school and teachers on the basis of associations of former students 5 years following the completion of education at school. Retrospective research involved a group of 127 respondents and was carried out using the tools of “My School” Free Associations Test and focused interviews involving the school memories of groups comprising 7-8 individuals. The results obtained were studied using the categorisation of individual associations. On the basis of the results the dimensions of the image were developed referring to school as an institution. They included the following categories: (1) school general outlook and facilities; (2) evaluation of the institution; (3) personal characteristics; (4) education and comprehensive development; (5) entertainment/peers; (6) life values; (7) occurrences of sentimental value. The associations related to the description of the “favourite teacher” and “the teacher I didn’t like” in considerable degree constitute similar categories to be evaluated, however, their intensity and order were changed. The following were among the most important ones: (1) personality traits; (2) vocational traits; (3) teacher-student relationship; (4) evaluation of the teaching method; (5) conduct assessment.

A significant difference in the assessment of these opposite categories of teachers is the fact that the teachers viewed upon in a negative way are more negatively assessed by students as regards their appearance, which does not take place in case of teachers viewed upon in a positive way. This dimension is substituted by the appreciation of the favourite teachers for their broad interests and pursuing self-development. The conducted analysis can become the basis for the conscious and planned creating of the school image as an institution and the teacher as the main figure affecting the quality of students’ memories of school within a wider life perspective.