Date
12-16-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Holly Eimer
Keywords
rapport, classroom management, secondary education teacher, experiences
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Newcomer, Jesse Darren, "A Phenomenological Study: The Lived Experiences of Social Studies Teachers’ Perceptions of Building Rapport To Enhance Classroom Management" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7815.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7815
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic-phenomenological study was to gain a profound understanding of what secondary education social studies teachers experience when they increase strategies to build rapport with students to strengthen classroom management techniques. There were 10 participants who teach in Central Pennsylvania public school districts. The theory guiding this study was self-determination theory by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, given the study's social-emotional focus. The central research question guiding this study was, “What are social studies teachers’ perceptions of how building rapport with students influences classroom management?” There were three sub-questions: What type of motivation is used when developing rapport to increase management in the classroom? What does building rapport with students do for social development and social growth? What happens to teachers’ classroom management as they build relationships with their students? Participants were all social studies teachers in small, under 2,000 students in Central Pennsylvanian school districts who teach secondary education courses. The participants were selected using snowball sampling. Data were collected through focus groups, interviews, and surveys created and issued by the researcher. The data were analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological approach and through triangulation, resulting in four common themes that emerged, including (a) positive classroom environment, (b) student engagement and teacher investment, (c) culture of respect between students and teachers, and (d) the weight of expectations. Data were clustered and interpreted to answer the research questions posed in the study. Empirical, theoretical, and practical data collection and analysis inferences were explained. Recommendations for future research were made.
