The role of classroom relationships as sources of academic resilience and hope

ABSTRACT

Framed by relationships motivation theory, this study examined students’ interpersonal relationships with instructors and peers as potential sources of support that would inspire academic resilience and hope in the face of an academic challenge. Participants (N = 213) reported on a specific academic challenge they had experienced within the first 10 weeks of class, and reported on instructor rapport, classroom connectedness, academic resilience, and hope. Results revealed that when both instructor and peer relationships were considered together, only peer connectedness was significantly and positively associated with academic resilience and student hope when faced with an academic challenge.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher-student relationship
• resilience
• hope
• instructional communication
• classroom connectedness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brandi N. Frisby

Brandi N. Frisby (PhD, West Virginia University, 2010) is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky.

Angela M. Hosek

Angela M. Hosek (Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2010) is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

Anna Carrie Beck

Anna Carrie Beck (PhD, University of Kentucky, 2019) is an Instructor in the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at Coastal Carolina Community College.