Exploring the Value of Professors' Investment in Personal Connections with Students

Abstract

In a classroom setting, it can be easy for instructors to fall into a rut or lull with course content and/or teaching style. However, many professors put in daily effort to connect with students and keep their classes engaging not just so their students can learn better, but also so the pupils can grow as people. This project aims to examine the professor perspective of this relationship: what professors themselves learn and gain when they invest in personal connections with students. Much research has already been done on the quantitative benefits students receive from one-on-one connections with their professors. Not as much has been done on the teaching end or the abstract, less definable end, so this investigative project centers around professors’ perspectives on the qualitative benefits of investing in personal connections with their students.