Educators’ perceptions of the costs and benefits of pursuing positive teacher-student relationships in middle schools

Abstract

Positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) are important. However, limited research has investigated middle school teachers’ perspectives on the costs and benefits of TSRs. This qualitative study, consisting of 115 middle school educators in 18 focus groups, addresses this gap. Inductive-deductive data analyses revealed themes describing eight benefits (e.g., improved trust and communication for students, increased job satisfaction) and six costs (e.g., workload, time pressures, out-of-pocket expenses) of pursuing TSRs. Educators reported benefiting from being appreciated by students, parents, and other school staff for pursuing positive TSRs. Implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers are discussed.