Forfattere
Geir Nyborg, Kristin Slungård, Anne Edwards & Robert J. Coplan
Sammendrag
The anxiety and social withdrawal of some shy students can limit their progress as learners. Shyness does not warrant statutory interventions, consequently, much depends on how class teachers interpret and respond to shy behaviours. Eleven teachers in four Norwegian middle schools were interviewed to elicit their interpretations of the behaviours of a shy student they taught. Analyses employed the cultural-historical concepts of “object of activity”, “object motive” and “motive orientation” to produce individual teacher profiles. These revealed coherent connections between teachers’ interpretations of a student’s strengths, interests and needs and the motivated actions of the teacher. While individual profiles were consistent, profiles differed between teachers within and across schools. The challenges for shy students as they navigate different expectations are identified as are the implications for schools’ claims to be offering inclusive classrooms. It is suggested that policy guidelines at national and school levels give more guidance to class teachers.