Teacher -student relationships: The effects of student motives, relationship development, and communication on student learning

Relationships are formed everyday between teachers and students, but few communication scholars have explored the progression of this relationship and its connection to other communication, teacher, and student variables. This study tested a relational model, which illustrated the relationships between teacher-student relationship development, in-class teacher communication (immediacy, clarity, and caring), out-of-class communication, in- and out-of-class student motives for communicating, and student affective and cognitive learning.;This study was completed over the course of a summer semester, with students (n = 157) completing survey instruments at three times: the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. The surveys at Time 1 and Time 2 measured the progression of the teacher-student relationship and the progression of student cognitive learning. In addition to completing these measures, at Time 3, students also completed measures examining teacher immediacy (verbal and nonverbal), clarity, caring, student motives, out-of-class communication, and student affective learning, and provided demographic information. Finally, a sample of students (n = 40) participated in focus groups at the end of the semester.;Results of this study showed strong support for the relational model of teacher-student communication. In-class communication (immediacy, clarity and caring), out-of-class communication, student motives, teacher-student relationship development, and student learning (cognitive and affective) were all positively related. In addition, the teacher-student relationship did progress over the course of a semester, as did cognitive learning. Utilized for the first time in this study were the revised relationship scale (measuring teacher-student relationship development) and a new cognitive learning measure. Based on these findings, there are important implications for both teachers and students. Teachers should learn and utilize in-class behaviors of immediacy, clarity, and caring, in addition to being aware of students' motives for communicating both in- and out-of-class. As for students, this study indicates that the more students communicate (in- and out-of-class), the better the relationship and the more that it progresses, ultimately leading to increased learning.