Effect of Student-Teacher Relationship on Undergraduate Students’ Self-Esteem
Keywords:
Student-Teacher Relationship, Undergraduate Students, Self-Esteem, Public vs. Private Universities, PakistanAbstract
This study explores the effect of student-teacher relationships on the self-esteem at undergraduate level students. Supportive Student-Teacher relationships play a wide role to shape self-esteem of students, but empirical evidences shows that across South-Asian higher educational universities there is limited research. This study explores the effect of student-teacher relationships on the self-esteem at undergraduate level of students in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional, stratified-random sampling technique was used. A sample of 500 undergraduates (250 form private and 250 form public sector universities students was drawn from an estimated number of population (250000) undergraduate students. Data was collected using standardizes tools on student’s teacher-relationship and self-esteem. Participants completed the student-teacher relationship scale (STR) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) scale. Both the tools show high internal consistency >.89. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was run to measure the effect of Student-Teacher Relationship while controlling for institutional sector and gender. The findings of this study reveal that student-teacher relationship has a significant but small proportion of variance in self-esteem (R2=.013, F=6.76,p=.010). But sector-specific results reveal a difference: the relationship predicted in public universities is 8.8% of self-esteem variance which is (R2=.088,F=23.97,P <.001), and on other hand in private sector universities the results show only 0.5% which is (R2=.005,F=1.29,P=.275). Gender-stratified results reveal that the predictive effect on female is significant (P=.044), and for males it is non-significant (P=.056). The findings suggests that positive student-teacher interactions and good relations play a major role to reinforce self-esteem within public sector universities where resources are limited among female students at undergraduate level. While in private sector universities where resources are available, it may still need targeted methodologies to strengthen student-teacher relationships. Early interventions such as professional development trainings, workshops based on relational pedagogies and mentoring policies can enhance undergraduate academic engagement and well-being. This can help students to feel supported and valued.
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