The Role of Teacher-Student Relationships in Student Engagement and Learning

Mya Jackman

Going into this inquiry, I already believed that student-teacher relationships were really important. A lot of that came from my own experience working in childcare, where I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference connection can make. I’ve worked with kids who struggled to meet expectations, had frequent big behaviours, and didn’t feel successful. But when we shifted away from punishment or rewards and instead focused on slowly building a relationship and creating a safe, trusting environment, everything started to change. Those same kids were able to meet expectations, their behaviours decreased, and they began having more consistent, successful days.

What surprised me most during this research was just how much evidence exists to support this. It was reassuring to see that what I’ve experienced in practice is also backed by research. At the same time, my thinking became more balanced. While relationships are clearly important, I now understand that there is a balance. Teachers still have content to teach, professional boundaries to maintain, and we can’t take on every role in a child’s life. There are also many outside factors that influence students, and relationships alone are not a solution to everything.

One thing I think people sometimes get wrong is treating relationship-building like a checklist. Greeting students every day or asking how they are doing doesn’t mean much if it isn’t genuine. If you don’t know how to spell their name or what they care about, that connection isn’t really there. To me, relationship-building isn’t something you “do”;it’s something that is constantly happening and embedded in everyday interactions. 

As a future teacher, I want to create a classroom where students feel comfortable and know that I truly care about them. As a shy student myself, I often felt overlooked because I wasn’t the loud or outgoing one. The teachers who did take the time to notice me are the ones I still remember today. 

Overall, teacher-student relationships play a significant and foundational role in student engagement and learning, as supported by research showing strong connections between emotional support, regulation, and academic outcomes. However, their impact is not absolute, as factors like home environment, individual differences, and broader systemic influences must also be considered.