Students and teacher
Relational learning can facilitate a respectful and supportive relationship between teacher and student. Positive teacher-student relationships play an important role in creating a sense of trust and cooperation in classroom.
A positive relationship between teacher and students is important in fostering student achievement and creating an environment for high-quality teaching and learning processes and outcomes. Teacher-student relationships have also been found to impact “some dimensions on learning, student learning behaviour, student inclusivity, student attendance and dropout and overall student experience.” (p.1005).1 The focus should be on building and maintaining a respectful and supportive relationship with the student, not building friendship.2
Building teacher presence, in both face-to-face and online environments, can foster relationships between students and their teachers. This is not only about being present with the formal teaching space but also being clear about the expectations for the course, making sure that students know when the teacher is available and the most appropriate ways to make contact.
Creating sustainable and meaningful relationships with students can take time but will help students to feel that they are part of a wider community of learning. In this short video, Professor Peter Felten from Elon University outlines some of the elements of building such relationships.
Leo Lambert and Peter Felten discuss ways to build relationship-rich environments. (03:45s)
Small steps
Some practical tips to strengthen their relationship with students.
Learn and use students’ names, 3 or start your first day of class by introducing yourself and who you are, what your educational background is, and what your hobby is. This will help students to relate to you and be more comfortable with you and your class.2
Provide opportunities for students to give feedback during the term3 and ask them explicitly about how they would like to be engaged in their learning.4
Be enthusiastic, smile, and convey warm gestures. Facial and body language matters. If your approach is welcoming and casual, it will make students feel more relaxed and comfortable.2, 3
Make sure that students know the most appropriate way to contact you outside of the class.3
Use inclusive language in your teaching, including te reo.
Student engagement in the educational interface
Helping students to feel they belong is likely to encourage students’ attendance and make learning easier as they are more emotionally comfortable in class5.
Watch these short video clips by Dr Ella Kahu on ways to engage with students.
Ways to engage students in the first year of university (03:14s) 6
Making a connection online (03:46s) 7
Students and teacher in practice
Personal chemistry: Engaging students at scale
In the world of first-year chemistry, with over 1,000 students, how do you create meaningful connections? Dr Kaitlin Beare has been experimenting with innovative approaches to foster relational learning at scale.
Effective ways to keep students motivated
Dr Nigel Gearing reminds us of a few simple steps to enhance teaching and course design that can help alleviate the phenomenon of student disengagement.
Constructive Failure story: The epic success that couldn’t last
We uncover a teacher’s journey to forge deep connections through relational pedagogies—a path marked by both unparalleled success and an unexpected twist.
Stats and cats: Herding numbers in large classrooms
Step into Anna Fergusson’s classroom, where STATS 220: Data Technologies is more than just a course – it’s an adventure in data science.
Intellectual Property Law: From Zoom to interactive online learning
A Law course redesign emphasises student-centric learning, enriched with tutorials and quizzes.
Teaching law: Deepening students’ relationships with discipline, teacher and self
Jayden Houghton aims to make human connections with his students and encourages them to reflect on their values and their Law School experience.
Making classics and ancient history accessible, inclusive and relevant
Maxine Lewis discusses relationality in her teaching practice within Classics and Ancient History.
Upskilling GTAs to enhance student experience
Learn about a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) training programme within the Faculty of Engineering.
Building confidence and sustaining curiosity
Anuj Bhargava employs a constructivist approach to teaching, in which students interact with their experiences and their surroundings to build knowledge.
Ko wai tātou? Who are we?
Whanaungatanga is to encourage the development of close connection between people, to create a sense of belonging. Waipapa Taumata Rau’s design team co-designed a first-year compulsory Arts general course.
Page updated 22/02/2023 (minor edit)
- Tormey, Roland. “Rethinking student-teacher relationships in higher education: A multidimensional approach”. Higher Education 82 (2021): 993–1011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00711-w ↩
- Garcia, Javier, S. “Relational learning: Creating a “working alliance” in the classroom”. In Westfall-Rudd, Donna, Vengrin, Courtney, & Elliott-Engel, Jeremy. Teaching in the University. (2022) Pressbooks. Available from: https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/universityteaching/chapter/relational-learning/ ↩
- Quinlan, Kathleen, M. “How emotion matters in four key relationships in teaching and learning in higher education”. College Teaching 64, no 3 (2016): 101-111. doi: 10.1080/87567555.2015.1088818 ↩
- Bovill, Catherine. Co-creating learning and teaching: Towards relational pedagogy in higher education. (2020). Critical Publishing. ↩
- Kahu, Ella, R. & Nelson, Karen. “Student engagement in the educational interface: Understanding the mechanisms of student success”. Higher Education Research & Development 37, no 1 (2018): 58-71. ↩
- Kahu, Ella, R. “Ways to engage students in the first year of university”. (Video) (2018); Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6R136v1zoc ↩
- Kahu, Ella, R. “Making a connection online”. (Video) (2020); Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cyZheHep7U ↩