Abstract:

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between secondary school students' trust in their teachers and their school life satisfaction. It was also aimed to examine trust in teacher and school life satisfaction differ according to gender and grade level variables. Lastly, the relationship between trust in teachers and school life satisfaction was investigated. Design & Methodology: The sample of the research consisted of 577 students attending state schools located in the Battalgazi and Yeşilyurt districts of Malatya in the 2021-2022 academic year. The participants were selected using stratified sampling method “Trust in teacher scale” and “Multi-dimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale” were used as data collection tools in the research. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, t-test for independent samples and simple linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of the findings. Findings: As a result of the analyzes, it was determined that students' trust in teachers and school life satisfaction levels did not differ significantly according to the gender variable. In the analyzes made in terms of grade level variables, it was determined that 8th grade students trust their teachers less and their school life satisfaction levels are lower compared to other students. Finally, as a result of the regression analysis it was determined that trust in teachers explained approximately 37.8% of the variance in school life satisfaction. Implications & Suggestions: As a result of the research, it was determined that trust in the teacher is a variable that has significant effects on students' school life satisfaction. Therefore, it can be suggested that school administrators who want to increase students' school life satisfaction should plan activities that will contribute to the quality of teacher-student relations.

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