Teacher-Student Relationships

The key elements of a quality relationship between teachers and students are composed of four broad factors. The first factor concerns features of the individuals involved in the relationship (e.g., gender, age, temperament, self-perceptions). The second component involves each individual's understanding of the relationship (e.g., how teachers and students view their own roles and the role of the other in this dyadic system). A third salient component includes the processes through which the two participants exchange information. Information exchange establishes and maintains a feedback loop between teacher and student, providing both individuals with verbal and nonverbal cues about the status and needs of each partner. The fourth component includes external factors that influence both teachers and students, including school-level variables such as discipline policies, schoolwide ...