Learner-Centered Teacher-Student Relationships Are Effective: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Person-centered education is a counseling-originated, educational psychology model, overripe for meta-analysis, that posits that positive teacher-student relationships are associated with optimal, holistic learning. It includes classical, humanistic education and today’s constructivist learner-centered model. The author reviewed about 1,000 articles to synthesize 119 studies from 1948 to 2004 with 1,450 findings and 355,325 students. The meta-analysis design followed Mackay, Barkham, Rees, and Stiles’s guidelines, including comprehensive search mechanisms, accuracy and bias control, and primary study validity assessment. Variables coded included 9 independent and 18 dependent variables and 39 moderators. The results showed that correlations had wide variation. Mean correlations ( r= .31) were above average compared with other educational innovations for cognitive and especially affective and behavioral outcomes. Methodological and sample features accounted for some of the variability.

“Learning to like learning”: an appreciative inquiry into emotions in education

“…This can be accomplished through establishing an atmosphere in which learners feel comfortable to consider new ideas and are not threatened by interference. When students feel safe, they are more apt to demonstrate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and higher-level thinking (Cornelius-White 2007). Qi (2012) supported these ideas and proposed that effective education should promote learners' desire to learn (be interested), involve learners in the decisionmaking processes of learning (ownership), and provide opportunities to evaluate themselves.…”

“…The social cohesion expressed here is thus evidence of the formation of communities of practice (Belenky et al 1997;Cornelius-White 2007;Fear et al 2002;Jennings and Di 1996).…”

“…Empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness, all components of a student-centred approach (Rogers 1969(Rogers , 1983Cornelius-White 2007) are crucial elements of a positive learning environment as it facilitates students comfort to be open to learning. This experience of safety with the facilitators provided students with courage: I shall try if I am wrong, T* is gonna correct me, or I* is going to show me the right path.…”

“…Both affective and cognitive needs are very important in humanistic teaching, and the goal is to develop self-actualized learners in a cooperative and supportive environment. Empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuineness, non-directivity, and the encouragement of critical thinking is regarded as crucial components of the learning process (Cornelius-White 2007).…”

When Teachers Become Parents: Parenthood Influence on Greek Teachers’ Professional Lives

“…Teachers who experienced parenthood report a developing professional interest in the academic attainments of their low-achieving students and a more decisive provision of personalized assistance to students who very often stay marginalized during the teaching/learning process (Saiti & Mitosili, 2005). Their willingness to enhance students' daily learning routine with cooperative, experiential activities that obviously provide greater numbers of students with stimuli for participatory active learning (Cohen et al, 2004;Cornelius-White, 2007) probably indicates that teachers, after becoming parents, tend more clearly to help their students achieve, through the learning procedure, not only cognitive but also affective and social objectives as well (Arnon & Reichel, 2007;Matsumura & Pascal, 2003;Sharan, 2010). In addition, regarding students' academic performance, teachers seem to try more consciously to reduce academic load and facilitate assimilation of newly-provided knowledge by both low-and highachievers (Ferreira & Bosworth, 2001;Sharan, 2015).…”