The purpose of this study was to build upon the work of Blumberg and others in examining relationships of student teachers and supervisors. This thesis investigates similarity of perceptions of conferencing behaviors of the student teacher and cooperating teacher, and student teacher morale. The instruments used in the study were Barrett-Lennard's Relationship Inventory, including subscales level of regard, congruence, unconditionality of regard, and empathic understanding. Adapted from Suehr's Teaching Morale, Student Teaching Morale used incomplete sentences. In addition, two parallel instruments were adapted for student teachers and cooperating teachers from Blumberg and Amidon's Teacher Perceptions of Supervisor-Teacher Interaction. The sample for the study consisted of 114 student teachers and 122 cooperating teachers at The Pennsylvania State University, winter term, 1981. Five hypotheses were tested and findings are reported. Hypothesis I--There is a relationship between student teacher morale, interaction with cooperating teacher, and student teacher perceptions of conferences. Correlation coefficients were significant at .001 or .05; hypothesis I was retained. Hypothesis II--There is a relationship between perceptions of conferences and student teacher interaction with cooperating teacher. All subhypotheses had correlation coefficients significant at .001; hypothesis II was not rejected. Hypothesis III--There is a relationship between dyads' perceptions of conferences, interaction with cooperating teacher, and student teacher morale. Subhypotheses involving dyads' scores on conferencing behaviors and relationship with cooperating teacher were significant at .05 or .01, while the subhypothesis involving perceptions of conferences and morale was rejected; hypothesis III was partially retained. Hypothesis IV--There is a difference between selected demographic variables and student teacher morale, student teacher relationship with cooperating teacher, and perceptions of conferences. Hypothesis IV was partially retained. Hypothesis V--There is a relationship between selected demographic variables and student teacher morale, student teacher interaction with cooperating teacher, and perceptions of conferences. Hypothesis V was partially retained.
