Do Your Students Care Whether you Care About Them?

Abstract

The author integrates research and theory to suggest that caring is an important dimension of effective college teaching. Despite the fact that students are acutely aware of whether their professors care about them, professors do not necessarily prioritize this aspect of teaching to the same extent. This article provides concrete suggestions about how professors can develop such rapport with their students, addresses common criticisms and concerns about professors expressing care, and offer avenues for future inquiry.

Keywords:

• classroom climate
• instructor-student relationship
• rapport

Acknowledgments

Steven A. Meyers is a professor of psychology at Roosevelt University in Chicago. His research interests include parent-child relations, effective college instruction, and faculty development.

Notes

I thank Trang Doan for her willingness to share the journal excerpt quoted in this article. I also appreciate the thoughtful and constructive feedback of Michael Loui regarding this work.