Effective Interpersonal Relationships: On the Association Between Teacher Agency and Communion with Student Outcomes

Abstract

This chapter reviews research that has investigated the link between teacher-student interpersonal relationships and student outcomes. First, prior research reviews investigating the relationship between these two sets of variables is discussed. Such research overwhelmingly shows the importance of warm and supportive relationships for both cognitive and affective outcomes, with affective outcomes also acting as an intermediary between the other two variables. Next, interpersonal theory is discussed, that conceptualizes interpersonal relationships from a systems perspective and distinguishes between the communion and agency dimensions of relationships. At the end of the contribution, research is reviewed that has used interpersonal theory as its leading framework and that has mapped students’ perceptions of interpersonal relationships with one particular instrument, the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI). Findings show that both interpersonal dimensions are positively related to cognitive as well as affective outcomes, either jointly or separately, with agency being more strongly related to cognitive outcomes and communion being more strongly related to affective outcomes.