A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Prevalence, Character, and Impact of Extracurricular Relationships Between Students and Professors

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Pushing the Envelope: Examining Holistic Education Practices in Higher Education

Abstract

This study is an exploration the frequency and influence of personal relationships between professors and students in the classroom from the perspectives of both groups. The preliminary results of the mixed-methods inquiry suggest that students personally and professionally benefit from close relationships with their professors, and vice versa. However, both groups evidence self-conscious and defensive attitudes toward such relationships in general. This tendency reflects wide cultural mistrust of student/teacher relationships. The discomfort and even defensiveness evidenced by students and professors in this research works against the aims of educators striving toward holistic educational practices.

Author

• Marianne Feller, Auburn University