Currently reading Siripi & Punyanunt-Carter (2025) on “College Students’ Perceptions Regarding Relationship Maintenance Behaviors with Their Instructors”

In the Affective Learning Model, the premise is that learning is shaped by emotions. Teachers that show care and concern positively influence students’ emotions, so they are more willing to engage in learning. In our own work, we have shown that affect is the category of trust moves most frequently mentioned by students. Generally, relationship maintenance behaviors, i.e. strategies that teachers can use to build and maintain supportive connections with students such as humor or self-disclosure, warmth, approachability, and empathy, receive a lot of attention recently.

In a survey of how students perceive specific relationship maintenance behaviors, Siripi & Punyanunt-Carter (2025) find that approachability (having an open-door policy and making students feel comfortable about approaching the teacher) is very important to students (mentioned in 135 out of 445 responses). A supportive classroom environment (120 mentions) and responsiveness (98) are the next most mentioned categories, followed by clarity in instruction and expectations (82). How relationship maintenance behaviors are received by students depends, of course, a lot on context, for example the discipline and cultural background. Cultural competence, in addition to relationship maintenance behaviours, is thus essential for teachers who want to create inclusive learning environments.

Students who reported in the study that they experience such relationship maintenance behaviors from their teachers also reported more engagement in class and being more willing to ask the teacher for help. This implies that, since they improve the student experience and learning, teachers should put effort into relationship maintenance behaviors: “Implementing strategies to­ prioritize approachability, responsiveness, and supportiveness can foster more positive and productive relationships with students.” And this is something that can be learnt by teachers, and be taught in professional development workshops!

Siripi & Punyanunt-Carter (2025) conclude that “[c]ultivating positive relationships between instructors and students remains essential for enhancing the overall educational experience and improving academic outcomes.” And we are getting closer to figuring out how it is done well!

Siripi, V., & Punyanunt-Carter, N. M. (2025). College Students’ Perceptions Regarding Relationship Maintenance Behaviors with Their Instructors. College Teaching, 1-10.

Featured image and those below from Cyprus what feels like a loooong time ago…

Maybe I should move there?