Abstract
This chapter explores the importance of developing positive teacher-student relationships as a mechanism to increase student engagement in virtual courses. Responses from 1,721 virtual teachers and 88 virtual program administrators were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that virtual teachers employed several strategies to build teacher-student relationships and that student engagement was a persistent challenge among even experienced virtual teachers. Further, results from administrators indicated that administrators play a critical role in supporting teachers and providing resources and recommendations for virtual teachers. The chapter concludes by providing specific recommendations for both virtual teachers and administrators on how to foster positive teacher-student relationships.
TopBackground On Student Engagement
Relationship Between Student Engagement and Achievement
Research exists demonstrating the connection between student engagement in the classroom and student success (Lei, Cui, & Zhou, 2018). Research over decades has found a significant positive relationship between overall student engagement and academic achievement, with the largest effect size reported for behavioral engagement (Lei et al., 2018).
Behavioral engagement, while demonstrably important for face-to-face learning, becomes even more important online when consistent student interaction and engagement with the course content are the primary responsibility of the student. While students are expected to be present physically in their face-to-face class a predetermined number of times a week, online courses typically have no such requirement. A majority of K-12 fully online courses are asynchronous and many are self-paced meaning students have no requirement for how often they need to “be” in the course or when specific work must be completed. If students are not behaviorally engaged with their courses, that is to say if they are not regularly logging into the course, accessing, and completing course materials, they are at risk of unsuccessful course outcomes.
Building Student Engagement Through Teacher-Student Relationships
There has existed, and continues to exist today, a critical need for classroom teachers and leaders to develop the knowledge and skills related to nurturing positive relationships with students to actively engage them in the physical, face-to-face classroom. Decades of research has demonstrated that these strong and supportive teacher-student relationships, as an integral part of a larger positive school climate, are associated with increased student behavioral engagement and academic achievement (Konold, Cornell, Jia, & Malone, 2018). Teacher-student relationships are also associated with academic achievement (Valiente, Lemery-Chalfant, Swanson, & Reiser, 2008), and students’ social functioning (Ladd, Birch, & Buhs, 1999)
Roorda, Koomen, Spilt, and Oort (2011) also found through a meta-analysis of research on teacher-student relationships a positive relationship between the teacher-student relationship and students’ overall school engagement as well as achievement. Researchers also found a negative relationship between negative teacher-student relationships and the two variables reinforcing the importance of a strong and positive relationship. Roorda et al. (2011) note that the teacher-student relationship is more strongly associated with engagement than academic achievement. The authors of this chapter suggest that engagement may be a mediator between teacher-student relationships and academic achievement, a claim that is well backed by previous research in this area (de Bruyn, 2005; Hughes et al., 2008; Woolley et al., 2009; Zimmer-Gembeck et al., 2006).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Experienced Virtual Teacher: A teacher with multiple years of experience and/or one who teaches for an established virtual program that provides systematic support through established policies and procedures.
Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA): An association of supplemental virtual schools and programs from across the United States.
Learning Management System (LMS): Software used by educational institutions to administer, document, deliver, report, and track educational courses.
Synchronous Learning: A term used to describe forms of teaching and learning in which teachers and students engage in instructional and learning activities together at the same time. Synchronous learning may occur in different locations; however, the communication and interactions that occur during the activities are in “real time.”
Asynchronous Learning: A term used to describe forms of teaching and learning in which teachers and students engage in instructional and learning activities at different times and different locations away from each other.
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI): A research non-profit funded by the Michigan legislature to research and provide thought leadership on digital education.
Student Engagement: A term to represent the collective efforts of a student in a virtual course, activities include logging into the LMS, accessing course materials, completing assignments, and communicating with the instructor.