RTL2 WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

RTL2 - Assessment 2
Main Topic: Focus on engagement to increase academic achievement

Sub-Topic: Does teacher-student relationships improve engagement and

increase academic achievement?

Part A – Literature Review

Introduction
The main topic is a focus on engagement to increase academic achievement that
represents a sub-topic main theme of the literature review: Does teacher-student
relationships improve engagement and increase academic achievement? This is
explored and investigated by the evaluation of present research. The establishment
of an informal mentoring relationship with students is directed by the ability of
teachers influencing students emotional, behavioural, and cognitive engagement
(O’Shea, 2014). Aspects of this teacher-student relationship whilst reflecting
academic achievement can be manipulated by adopting types of feedback
(positive/negative) that may either encourage or challenge the quality of student
learning (Kosir, & Tement, 2014). The relationship is devised by teacher approval
and the student’s awareness of teacher support. Students’ insight into their social
and directional connections with their teachers create an important part of students’
engagement (Davis et al., 2014). Kelly & Zhang (2016) have found a pattern that
suggests teacher-student relationship support is associated with increased levels of
engagement and higher levels of academic achievement. However, the influences of
student engagement and the connection to academic achievement are still largely
unknown (Xerri, Radford & Shacklock, 2018). Mentors have been historically evident
in circumstances of education and learning, which has been ignored in the process
to acquire academic success based on approaches of educational measures
(O’Shea, 2014). The organisation of teacher-student relationships emphasises a
student-centred approach supporting the appreciation for connection and
engagement in learning, which develops student achievement (Davis et al., 2014).
Teachers are perceived to coordinate the relationship to productively engage
students while relying on teaching and learning strategies (O'Shea, 2014).

Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

Data on teacher support and engagement found a connection among teacher-
student relationship quality (Kelly & Zhang, 2016). Teacher-student relationships are
discovered to be positive and have important connections with academic
proceedings, referring to content engagement and academic achievement (Durksen
et al., 2017; Kelly & Zhang, 2016). Roorda et al. (2017) found an indication that
emotional relationships are linked to student’s engagement and achievement
increasing positive teacher-student relationships that promote higher academic
achievement (Kelly & Zhang, 2016). Reassurance, admiration, and additional
strategies of teacher support may be particularly essential where many students
have been found to experience achievement anxiety (Kelly & Zhang, 2016). An
explicit relationship among teacher approval and academic achievement occurs as
students with greater teacher approval have higher achievement and students with
higher achievement are acknowledged more by their teacher (Kosir, & Tement,

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2014). Conclusions from Xerri, Radford & Shacklock (2018) justify the significance of
successful teacher-student relationship development, enabling positive student-
student (peer) relationships and collaborating a strong feeling of belonging to
students, which augment their educational engagement and evaluation of
capabilities. Nevertheless, the original central focus and common impacts among
these concepts are improved throughout time, with concepts strengthening
respectively and supporting students positive/negative school modifications (Kosir, &
Tement, 2014).

The Effects of the Learning Environment

School related factors that affect student nonattendance have been portrayed by
teacher-student negative encounters and the school’s viewpoint of students, which
arrange the facets of school engagement (Kizildag, Demirtas-Zorbaz, & Zorbaz,
2017). Based on research, it is noted that a negative school environment due to
academic achievement and teacher-student relationships may increase student
nonattendance (Kizildag, Demirtas-Zorbaz, & Zorbaz, 2017). The perceived climate
of relationships between teachers and students appeared to be highly predictive of
students’ engagement (Fatou & Kubiszewski, 2018). Student engagement in
educational settings is a serious issue effecting the inclusive achievement of
students learning in advanced subject content (Xerri, Radford & Shacklock, 2018).
Durksen et al. (2017) found that the learning environment (class) exposed four major
markers in teacher-student relationships that is considered significant for enthusiasm
and engagement: contact, connection, climate, and confidence. Xerri, Radford &
Shacklock (2018) findings propose teacher-student relationships, student-student
(peer) relationships, and students feeling of belonging in advanced subject content
were important for student engagement. Furthermore, teacher-student relationships,
and a resilient feeling of belonging remained dominant to perspectives of student
capabilities.

Influence on Psychological and Physiological Factors

The relationship between teacher support and engagement within students is
approximately one-third to two-thirds the strength of the relationship between the
students' own academic self-concept in a subject matter than their engagement
(Kelly & Zhang, 2016). A feeling of belonging is established in the teacher-student
and student-student (peer) relationships whilst influencing student engagement and
perspective of capabilities (Xerri, Radford & Shacklock, 2018). Students who are
psychologically and physiologically vulnerable demand distinctive requirements, due
to the absence of connection, to a compassionate mentor and cognitive stability
(O'Shea, 2014). This has affected such students academically (negatively) unless
reassurance of a positive teacher-student relationship is attained leading to students
positive emotional and behavioural factors (O'Shea, 2014). The behavioural and
academic shortcomings of students who are psychologically and physiologically
vulnerable frequently end in negative teacher relationships (O'Shea, 2014). In
displaying explicit behaviours, teachers can setback this tendency and produce
significant expressive connections with the diverse range of students (O'Shea,
2014). Emphasising the importance of these relationships can impact student
engagement and is central to student engagement improvements (Quin, Hemphill, &
Heerde, 2017). Research reports standpoints concerning quality of teaching and
teachers personal behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement as affectual
factors in engagement and academic achievement (Quin, Hemphill, & Heerde,

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2017). After regulation for the student and family variables, quality of teaching was
exclusively linked to emotional and behavioural engagement (Quin, Hemphill, &
Heerde, 2017). Adapting a supportive teacher-student relationship frequently leads
to purposeful positive attitudes toward the teacher and feelings of belonging (Kelly &
Zhang, 2016).

Conclusion
Roorda et al. (2017) discovered that the function of engagement and academic
achievement was not reliant of student age and the facilitating responsibility of
engagement revealed to embrace throughout time. Students' engagement is a
fundamental influence in clarifying the connection amid the psychological eminence
of teacher-student relationships and student’s academic achievement (Roorda et al.,
2017). These fundamental findings highlight a variety of students having developed a
positive relationship with certain teachers and report being engaged in certain
classrooms dependant on the teacher and subject content (Kelly & Zhang, 2016). A
positive supportive teacher-student relationship can end in the student undergoing
positive psychological behaviours concerning subject content and the teacher’s role,
which may promote essential determination and an expansion in academic
achievement (O'Shea, 2014). The properties of collective social support and self-
efficacy confidence measures on secondary student’s engagement specifies that
supportive processes offered from teacher, family and peers, correspondingly
experiences academic achievement growth (Kizildag, Demirtas-Zorbaz, & Zorbaz,
2017). The literature review signifies that quality of teaching has a significant and a
non-exclusive function in encouraging student’s engagement in the learning
environment (Quin, Hemphill, & Heerde, 2017). Students’ engagement is predicted
by their sense of relatedness with teachers and teacher support and mediates the
relation between the teacher-student and achievement (Kosir, & Tement, 2014). The
main themes investigation suggests that interpersonal improvements are applied in a
considerable approach that inspires students not contributing collaboratively to
advance by the modification in the teachers’ quality, emphasising alterations
appropriate for increases in achievement (Davis et al., 2014).

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Part B – Data Collection Protocol

Consent Form

Dear Potential Participant:

I am working on a project titled ‘Does Teacher-Student relationships improve engagement increasing

academic achievement?’ for the class, ‘Researching Teaching and Learning 2,’ at Western Sydney
University. As part of the project, I am collecting information to help inform the design of a teacher
research proposal.

This topic focuses on the Teacher-Student relationship to gain engagement that further discovers
whether this type of engagement increases student learning and/or academic achievement. An interview
composed of 12 questions will be facilitated for data collection researching into this topic, by 4 different
participants displaying their perspectives and views.

By signing this form, I acknowledge that:

• I have read the project information and have been given the opportunity to discuss the
information and my involvement in the project with the researcher/s.
• The procedures required for the project and the time involved have been explained to me, and
any questions I have about the project have been answered to my satisfaction.
• I consent to being interviewed via audio recording and having my perspectives and views to the
interview questions used as data collection for this project.
• I understand that my involvement is confidential and that the information gained during this
data collection experience will only be reported within the confines of the ‘Researching Teaching
and Learning 2’ unit, and that all personal details will be de-identified from the data.
• I understand that I can withdraw from the project at any time, without affecting my relationship
with the researcher/s, now or in the future.

By signing below, I acknowledge that I am 18 years of age or older, or I am a full-time university student
who is 17 years old.

Signed: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

Date: __________________________________

By signing below, I acknowledge that I am the legal guardian of a person who is 16 or 17 years old, and
provide my consent for the person’s participation.

Signed: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

Date: __________________________________

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Teacher Participant Interview Questions

1. What kind of students do you like to work with?

2. What type of students effectively benefit your teaching?

3. Explain the significance or insignificance of a teacher-student relationship?

Please state whether it is significant or insignificant.

4. Does a teacher-student relationship keep you more engaged in your

teaching? How and why?

5. What quality or qualities do you have that would enhance teaching?

6. Give an example of how you have used cooperative learning in your

classroom.

7. What description, you believe, would the students state about your teaching
strategies?

8. Define your teaching style and how you accommodate for engagement in the
class.

9. What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses with in class

engagement? How does your teacher-student relationship affect this?

10. In what ways does a teacher-student relationship keep you on task and do
collaborative group activities help? If so, how?

11. Has a teacher-student relationship affected your academic achievement? If

so, in what way?

12. Have you experienced a teacher-student relationship that engages you

academically? How was this experience?

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Part C – Data Collection Protocol Explanation

The data collection protocol is a semi-structured interview to obtain qualitative data
through the implementation of set questions (12 questions) used as a general
guideline based on the sub-topics main theme: Does teacher-student relationships
improve engagement and increase academic achievement? Based on the
interviewee’s responses, follow-up questions are asked to probe into more detail or
to clarify the interviewee’s perspective (Kvale, 1996). The purpose of the data
collection is to gain background information for a future action research project. The
data analysis technique involves the integration of an interview transcript attained via
the audio recordings of interviews. Recording of the interviews is considered
appropriate to have the interview data engaged more effectively (Jamshed, 2014).
This technique synthesis the interviewees responses to retrieve succinct and
coherent perspectives relevant to the main theme.

Semi-structured interviews are in-depth pre-set open-ended questions employed for

professional research (Jamshed, 2014). The interviews arranged are conducted
once only, with the individual normally covering a period of approximately 15 minutes
(DiCicco‐Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). For the most effective interviews, a guide assists
the interview questions for a more methodical and expansive approach focusing on
the favoured outcome (DiCicco‐Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). The questions in the
interview guide encompass essential questions following a pattern to target
perspectives of teacher-student relationships, engagement and the link to academic
achievement (Jamshed, 2014). The main theme has linked to attachment theory,
self-determination theory and grounded theory.

Attachment theory encapsulates the impulse for belonging and can be recognised in
the relationship behaviour of students. The mental aim of emotional attachments
among an individual and a supplementary model, seen in teacher-student
relationships, is to accomplish or sustain emotional wellbeing (Spilt, Koomen, &
Thijs, 2011). Research stimulated by attachment theory has naturally trusted teacher
accounts of attachment and negative encounters, which produce extremely
appreciated data about teacher-student relationships. Attachment theory research
proposes that semi-structured interviews offer an explicitly detailed understanding of
psychological depictions of teacher-student relationships (Maier et al. 2004).

Deci and Ryan (2000) discovered that self-determination theory (SDT) suggests
“three universal, innate psychological needs including (1) autonomy; ownership,
responsibilities, and self-actualisation, (2) belongingness; close relationships,
interpersonal regard, and support, and (3) competence; feeling capable to bring out
desired outcomes and effectively cope with challenges” (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs,
2011). The SDT of motivation explicitly foresees that positive teacher-student
relationships improve independent enthusiasm and assurance of teachers. Fulfilment
of the three basic needs across autonomy support, establishment of structure, and
emotional connection from teachers, revealed to promote educational engagement
to increase academic achievement (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011).

Grounded theory implies prearranged methodical instructive techniques for

managing qualitative research intended for theory development (Charmaz, 2014).
Grounded theory signifies a technique comprising of adaptable procedural

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approaches and the establishment concerning this investigation (Charmaz, 2014).

Progressively, researchers practice grounded theory to describe the techniques of
investigation for data collection and analysis. The implication of grounded theory is
substantial due to unequivocal and consecutive strategies for performing qualitative
research that compromises precise approaches for management of analysis in
stages of the investigation (Charmaz, 2014). These stages rationalise and integrate
data collection advancing theoretical investigation of the qualitative data and
validates qualitative research as a scientific examination.

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