The social and emotional dynamics of teachers’ peer relationships

Abstract

Teachers' relationships with colleagues are a crucial aspect of professional activity in schools but can often be overlooked as a by-product of teachers' working lives. Extant literature indicates that research on these relationships and the role they play in teachers' professional lives, wellbeing, and retention is a developing field. The purpose of this study was to examine variations in teachers' peer relationships to develop a theory to explain this phenomenon. Using a critical realist grounded theory approach, and adopting an equal status, sequential, mixed-method design, the study combined a focus on individual experiences, alongside an exploration of the accumulative, contextual issues relating to the role of collegial relationships for primary and secondary schoolteachers in England. This strategy facilitated the collection of statistical data from 334 teachers, as well as the richness of qualitative data via critical event narratives (N = 10) to identify participants' perspectives on, and experiences of, professional relationships. These data were analysed, compared, and integrated, revealing four key components of teachers' peer relationships: Social Contracts, Quality of Professional Relationships, Peer Interaction, and Culture and Support. Further, these components were clustered into two groups, suggestive of interrelated aspects of a broader framework. A grounded theory, the Relational Dynamics of Mattering (RDM) emerged, proposing how the concept of mattering is central to the development of positive peer relationships. These findings provide evidence of the complex structure of teacher peer relationships, contributing to the broader understanding of how collegiality functions within schools. Results suggest that enhancing the quality of professional relationships could potentially lead to improved school cohesion, offering insights for policy and practice.