A Social Look at Student–Instructor Interactions

The Effects of Student–Faculty Interaction on Academic Self-Concept: Does Academic Major Matter?

“…This study revealed that the positive relationship between having been a guest in a professor's home and students' academic self-concept was more pronounced among students who are in academic majors where faculty members were more accessible to their students. Whereas other research has shown faculty accessibility cues to significantly affect the amount of student-faculty interaction, shaping students' perception of their faculty members' attitude toward students (Cotten & Wilson 2006;Wilson et al 2011Wilson et al , 1974, our research shows that faculty accessibility might possibly facilitate an educational environment where students benefit more, at least in terms of academic self-concept, from their interaction with faculty. Faculty members can communicate their accessibility and enthusiasm to interact with students both in the classroom (e.g., calling students by their names, taking students' questions seriously, valuing students' comments) and outside of the classroom (e.g., holding regular office hours, inviting students to assist faculty research, having informal on-and off-campus meetings, providing open communication channels via email, phone call, and others).…”

Overcoming discomfort when teaching about evil and immorality.

“…In other words, simply fostering good relationships with students could reduce the biased processing of course topics about evil. Instructors can foster such relationships by making eye contact, smiling when appropriate, or engaging in small talk before and after classes (wilson, naufel, & Hackney, 2011). as an added bonus, wilson et al (2011) noted that these behaviors also signal that the classroom is a safe learning environment, an environment that could foster open discussion.…”