Connecting to the Professor: Impact of the Student–Faculty Relationship in a Highly Challenging Course

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

“…, 2016). Finally, there is reason to believe that instructor characteristics, including level of support and quality of interactions with students may be of particular interest in this context (Micari and Pazos, 2012; Zumbrunn et al ., 2014). Future studies should explore the confluence of student-, classroom-, and instructor-level influences that serve to meaningfully impact student buy-in, engagement, and performance outcomes.…”

“…Active learning provides students with opportunities to engage in the learning process, and students may decide to participate based on a series of judgments, including whether the activities are deemed as valuable to the learning process, are enjoyable, or allow for meaningful interaction with others (Yuretich, 2004; Eddy et al ., 2015). Such judgments may be influenced by a multitude of factors, including students’ perceived ability to learn (Dweck and Master, 2008), instructor support (Micari and Pazos, 2012; Zumbrunn et al ., 2014), classroom climate (Freeman et al ., 2007), and prior experiences (Tanner, 2013). …”

Laughter to learning: How humor can build relationships and increase learning in the online classroom

“…The use of humor helps to change student perceptions of the instructor and makes the instructor more approachable (Eskey, 2010). Micari and Pazos (2012) determined that the difference between students' perceptions of their class being "unreasonably hard" and being "a great learning experience" was their relationship with the instructor. Humor builds those relationships.…”

Faculty as Sources of Support for LGBTQ College Students

“…In general, at four-year institutions (Hoffman 2014), and specifically, in highly challenging courses, faculty-student interaction matters (Micari and Pazos 2012). For students who are a gender or racial minority in their fields, faculty interaction is a critical factor in academic success.…”