Teacher–Student Interaction and Its Relationship with Academic Engagement and Performance in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65327/es.v12i3.2547Keywords:
Teacher–Student Interaction, Academic Engagement, Perceived Academic Performance, Higher Education, Academic SupportAbstract
Teacher–student interaction plays an important role in shaping academic engagement and educational outcomes in higher education. This study explored the correlation between teacher-student interaction, academic involvement and perceived academic performance of university students in Bangladesh. The research design was quantitative, cross-sectional and the data was obtained from the secondary survey of 399 students from various academic departments of the university. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation and Mann–Whitney U tests were conducted to explore the interaction patterns, engagement indicators, perceived academic performance and group differences. The results showed moderate-to-high level of teacher-student interaction with positive relationship being the highest mean score (3.54 ± 1.17). There was a significant relationship between positive teacher–student relationships and support related academic engagement (ρ = 0.499, p < 0.001) as well as with perceived academic performance (ρ = 0.451, p < 0.001). High frequency of interaction, approachability of teachers, academic assistance and feedback were also positively associated with measures of engagement. There were no significant differences between gender categories on engagement and perceived performance measures, although a small statistically significant difference was found in the frequency of interactions. The results point toward the need for positive communication, teacher accessibility, and positive feedback that are conducive to positive learning experiences. A self-reported performance measure and cross-sectional design, however, preclude causal inferences. Improved teacher–student relationships can foster engagement in learning, and future longitudinal research with objective measures of achievement is suggested for further evidence.
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