Abstract
This study explores the ideas about fostering positive teacher relationships in public schools through an exploratory mixed-method design. The approach involves an initial qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. More specifically, it aimed to construct, develop and evaluate the dimensions of fostering positive teacher relationships in public schools’ scale. In the qualitative phase, there were seven teachers who participated in the in-depth interview and ten teachers participated in the focus group discussion. There were five themes that emerged from the interview that put emphasis on collaborative professional development, open communication channels, mentorship programs, team building activities, and conflict resolution training. A 100-item new approaches of teaching scale were also constructed based from the results of the interview. In the quantitative phase, 200 questionnaire responses were analyzed for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results showed five underlying dimensions of fostering positive teacher relationships in public schools. A total of five themes on dimensions of fostering positive teacher relationships in public schools’ questionnaire was developed which are Team Building Activities with a total of 20 items, Open Communication Channels with a total of 16 items, Mentorship Programs with a total of 19 items, Collaborative Professional Development with a total of 14 items, and Conflict Resolution Training with a total of 22 items and the overall the scale has a total of 91-item questionnaire. This study recommended that fostering positive teacher relationships in public schools is essential for creating supportive and conducive learning environments. By prioritizing the cultivation of strong bonds between teachers and students, schools can enhance student engagement, academic achievement, and overall well-being. Strategies such as promoting open communication, demonstrating empathy, and offering professional development opportunities centered on relationship-building were emphasized as effective means to bolster positive teacher-student interactions.