TITLE-
STUDENT-FACULTY INTERACTION
AUTHOR-
Merlyn Mathew
Miheer Hegde
Harsh Shejwal
INTRODUCTION
Student–faculty interaction plays a crucial role in shaping the overall learning experience in education institutions. The quality and frequency of communication between students and teachers significantly influence academic performance, confidence, and personal development. Limited interaction can lead to hesitation, lack of clarity, and reduced engagement in the learning process. When students feel disconnected from faculty, opportunities for guidance, mentorship, and feedback are often missed. This highlights the need for an educational environment that encourages open, supportive, and meaningful student–faculty relationships to enhance both learning outcomes and holistic development.
OBJECTIVES
To understand the underlying phenomenon of “Student-Faculty Interaction”
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review 1: Student–Faculty Interaction and Academic Success
Student–faculty interaction is widely recognized as a key factor influencing students’ academic performance, engagement, and persistence in higher education. Pascarella (1980) found that informal interactions with faculty outside the classroom positively affect students’ intellectual development and educational aspirations. Similarly, Endo and Harpel (1982) reported that students who frequently communicate with faculty show higher academic motivation and satisfaction. Chickering and Gamson (1987), in their well-known “Seven Principles of Good Practice,” identified student–faculty contact as the most important factor in promoting learning. These studies suggest that meaningful interaction helps students clarify academic expectations, seek guidance, and feel supported, which ultimately improves learning outcomes and retention.
Literature Review 2: Quality of Interaction, Motivation, and Student Engagement
Recent research emphasizes that the quality of student–faculty interaction is more important than just frequency. Trolian et al. (2016) found that supportive and respectful interactions with faculty significantly enhance students’ academic motivation over time. Kuh (2001) also highlighted that meaningful engagement with faculty, such as discussing career goals and receiving feedback, promotes deeper learning and persistence. High-quality interaction builds trust and a sense of belonging, which is especially important for first-generation and underprepared students. Therefore, institutions are encouraged to focus on mentoring, feedback, and inclusive teaching practices rather than only increasing contact hours.
DATACOLLECTION
To understand the underlying phenomena of impact of attendance pressure on student well-being and learning the following questions were frame with Likert scale
Q1. I feel faculty members are approachable.
Q2. I receive adequate academic guidance from teachers.
Q3. I hesitate to ask questions during lectures.
Q4. I think student–faculty interaction can be improved.
Q5. I feel faculty members are available outside class hours for academic support.
A google form was created with the above questions with 5-point scale and responses were quoted as 5- strongly agree 4- agree 3- neutral 2- disagree 1- strongly disagree
Data was download on google sheet and for every question mean, standard deviation, standard error, T-stat were calculated.
DATA ANALYSIS
|
Particulars |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
Q5 |
|
Mean |
3.72 |
3.70 |
3.12 |
3.62 |
3.46 |
|
Standard Deviation |
1.26 |
1.03 |
1.11 |
0.92 |
1.29 |
|
Standard Error |
0.19 |
0.15 |
0.17 |
0.14 |
0.19 |
|
T-Stat |
-12.30 |
-15.84 |
-14.97 |
-18.29 |
-12.14 |
|
Result |
Negatively Disagree |
Negatively Disagree |
Negatively Disagree |
Negatively Disagree |
Negatively Disagree |
CONCLUSION
Q1: Students negatively disagree that faculty members are approachable (T-stat = –12.30).
Q2: Students negatively disagree that they receive adequate academic guidance from teachers (T-stat = –15.84).
Q3: Students negatively disagree that they hesitate to ask questions during lectures (T-stat = –14.97).
Q4: Students negatively disagree that student–faculty interaction can be improved (T-stat = –18.29).
Q5: Students negatively disagree that faculty members are available outside class hours for academic support (T-stat = –12.14).
REFERENCES
1. Pascarella, E. T. (1980). Student–faculty informal contact and college outcomes. Review of Educational Research.
2. Endo, J. J., & Harpel, R. L. (1982). The effect of student–faculty interaction on students’ educational outcomes. Research in Higher Education.
3. Trolian, T. L., Jach, E. A., Hanson, J. M., & Pascarella, E. T. (2016). Influencing academic motivation: The effects of student–faculty interaction. Journal of College Student Development.
4. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Conceptual Framework.