Teacher-Student Relationship and Its Influence on College Student Engagement and Academic Achievement

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

This exploratory mixed-methods study examines how college students’ perceptions of positive and negative teacher-student relationships shape classroom engagement and academic progress. Quantitative data come from 157 undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates at Government Brojomohun College in Bangladesh via a Facebook-based Google survey, complemented by eight Zoom semi-structured interviews. Findings show positive TSR perceptions enhance behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement and academic achievement, while negative perceptions significantly hinder both. Some students report relationship effects that do not influence engagement or achievement, and implications and limitations are discussed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Teacher-student relationships and student engagement

Context and prior research (Bangladesh and higher education)

Method Overview

Quantitative survey design

Qualitative interviews and analysis framework

Findings

Impact of positive TSR perceptions

Impact of negative TSR perceptions

Mixed or non-significant effects

Teacher-Student Relationship and Its Influence on College Student Engagement and Academic Achievement Bilash Mallik Master Trainer Associate in Education, Nottingham University, Malaysia, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Govt. Brojomohun College, Bangladesh, [bilashsoc@gmail.com](bilashsoc@gmail.com) This exploratory mixed-methods study aimed to explore how students' perceptions of positive and negative teacher-student relationships influence their classroom engagement and academic progress. The data in the quantitative phase came from 157 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students at Government Brojomohun College in Bangladesh who participated in a Google-based survey questionnaire posted on Facebook groups, and a semi-structured interview of eight students was conducted via the Zoom platform. The qualitative data were interpreted and analyzed based on the themes that emerged from literature, open-ended survey questions, and interviews. To acquire a deeper comprehension of qualitative data, quantitative data werepresented and analyzed statistically. The findings revealed that college students’ positive perceptions of TSR greatly improve their behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement in the classroom, as well as their academic achievement, whereas their negative perceptions of TSR significantly hinder all types of classroom engagement and academic achievement. However, this study also found that some students’ positive and negative relationships with teachers have no impact on their classroom engagement and academic achievement. This study makes an important contribution to the existing literature by elucidating college students' perceptions of TSR in terms of its positive and negative perceptions, as well as its impact on classroom engagement and academic achievement in college education. The implications and limitations are discussed. Keywords: teacher-student relationship, classroom engagement, academic achievement, perception, college students INTRODUCTION Teacher-student relationships were viewed as a crucial factor in the past for ensuring student engagement and academic success in the Bangladeshi education system, as both teachers and students believed that a positive rapport between the two parties would result in positive outcomes for both parties. However, Bangladesh's educational system has changed over time. Due to the rise of other factors that affect student performance, such as class size, teacher shortage, student volume, socioeconomic status, etc., teachers, students, and policymakers have neglected this issue, particularly in Bangladesh's higher education (Banik & Kumar, 2019) . However, research indicates that when students view their relationships with their teachers as pleasant, amicable, and adaptable, they are more engaged in the classroom, hence improving their academic performance (e.g., Collie, 2018; Dennie et al., 2019; Inman, 2019; Zhou, 2012) . In contrast, if students' relationships with their teachers are strained, they may engage in disruptive conduct and become unsatisfied and disengaged, so impeding their overall achievement (e.g., Furrer & Skinner, 2003; Spilt, J. L., Hughes, J. N., Wu, J. Y., & Kwok, 2012) . Numerous pieces of research studied the relationship between the TSR and student engagement, as well as their effects on academic achievement. (e.g.,Dennie et al., 2019; Geng Citation: Mallik, B. (2023) . Teacher-student relationship and its influence on college student engagement and academic achievement. Anatolian Journal of Education, 8(1), 93-112. [https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2023.817a](https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2023.817a) et al., 2019; Juin-yu Wu, Jan N. Hughes, 2010; Ko & Tement, 2013; Roorda et al., 2011; Stroet et al., 2013; Thornberg et al., 2020; Zhou, 2012) . Much is known regarding how TSR increases students'behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement in the school context (e.g., Dennie et al., 2019;

FAQs

What does the study investigate about teacher-student relationships?

The study investigates how students’ perceptions of positive and negative teacher-student relationships influence classroom engagement and academic achievement in college education.

How was the study conducted and how were data analyzed?

It uses an exploratory mixed-methods design: a quantitative Google-based survey with 157 students and semi-structured interviews with eight students via Zoom. Qualitative data were analyzed using themes from literature, open-ended survey answers, and interviews, while quantitative data were analyzed statistically.

What relationship between TSR perceptions and engagement/achievement did the findings show?

Positive TSR perceptions improved behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement and enhanced academic achievement. Negative TSR perceptions significantly reduced all types of classroom engagement and academic achievement.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel