“She Calls Me by My Last Name”: Exploring Adolescent Perceptions of Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

Interpersonal relationships during adolescence can be powerful avenues for personal development. As school is a universal context for youth, positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) are one potential source for such developmentally promotive relationships. Unfortunately, research has shown a decline in the quality of teacher-student interactions as students progress through PK-12, which suggests a missed developmental opportunity. More research is needed to identify factors that contribute to positive TSRs, especially during adolescence. Utilizing qualitative methods, this study explores adolescent perceptions of TSRs in order to identify and understand key interactions and characteristics of high-quality, positive TSRs. We identified two overarching themes that emerged from our qualitative analysis: teacher noticing and teacher investment. Within these themes, we also examined the role of “free” and “same-level” conversations in promoting positive TSRs. Our findings contribute to research aimed at understanding specific processes that occur within positive youth-adult relationships. Specifically, we find promise in key teacher-student interactions that fulfill adolescents’ developmental needs including autonomy, competence and connection. Our findings emphasize the importance of the student perspective and that capitalizing on positive TSRs during adolescence can be a powerful way to promote positive youth development.