Optimizing Education: A Mixed Methods Approach Oriented to Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR)

Abstract

This methodological article provides a Mixed Method approach to analyze how the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) Model is feasible to enhance student’s autonomy. The objective is to detect how teachers’ behavior-oriented patterns shift in response to continuing professional development to reinforce TPSR strategies. We compared the application of TPSR by three teachers who had previously attended a training course for this model, with that of an expert in the model. A total of 44 sessions of primary and secondary school semesters in various subjects, taught by all four teachers and comprising 120 students. A mixed-method approach followed in the study involved: (a) the Observational System of Teaching Oriented Responsibility (OSTOR), which revealed how the teachers’ behavior patterns shifted over their interventions, and (b) the Tool for Assessing Responsibility-Based Education (TARE 2.0.), which focused on perceived behaviors by teachers and student behaviors. Data analysis was conducted for (a) the T-pattern detection technique, (b) polar coordinate analysis to obtain detailed sequences of instruction, and (c) descriptive and correlational analysis from the TARE. The mixed-method analysis of data confirms how the TPSR improved the teaching behaviors of the three teachers in training compared with the expert teacher.

Enhancing Learner Motivation and Classroom Social Climate: A Mixed Methods Approach

“…The use of mixed methods approaches allows for integrating qualitative and quantitative data, and they are increasing exponentially [25] in several disciplines. Education is not an exemption, and those that have used the TPSR model have begun to apply mixed methods approaches that incorporate observational methodology [26], demonstrating them to be suitable to obtain a broader analysis of the data (i.e., [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]) and proving them to be effective in previous related research such as teacher's communication [18,30] and TPSR pedagogical research [23,31,32]. The mixed methods approach incorporates different types of designs [25,26].…”

“…The Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model improves prosocial behavior and classroom climates [21,22], and is one of the most powerful tools for promoting self-autonomy in students [23].…”

“…The OSTOR [23] (Table 1) is comprised of six criteria. The first four criteria are related to teacher actions: (1) Expectations; (2) Explanations; (3) Organization; and (4) Task adjustments.…”

“…The last criterion is related to how the session concludes: (6) Session summary) each criterion was expanded to build an exhaustive and mutually exclusive observation total of 18 categories. [23]).…”

From Students’ Personal and Social Responsibility to Autonomy in Physical Education Classes

“…On the other hand, there are a few studies where the TPSR is related to student autonomy [40]. A series of studies have looked at the relationship between TPSR and autonomy [11,[41][42][43], but there is still a lack of evidence to show its relationship with teachers' interpersonal style; only the study of Alcalá, Río, Calvo and Pueyo [44] found an increase in autonomy support perceived by the students.…”