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RELATIONSHIPS AND STUDENT LEARNING

Positive Relationships and Student Learning

Zac Lantz

College of Education, Butler University

ED227S: Introduction to Middle and Secondary Students and Schools

Dr. Susan Adams

December 11, 2021

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Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to provide theories that are able to answer the

question: How do educators create a developmentally appropriate environment for learning?

Research was conducted through literary sources to support the claim: the environment that

prioritizes the relationship between the student and the teacher is the most optimal for learning.

That relationship is contingent upon two subcategories; relationships require different needs at

different developmental levels and building a foundation of trust is necessary for the relationship

to occur. Observations were recorded at a local inner-city high school and compared to the

theorized answers to the central question. Those observations backed the theory and gave context

as to how to create a developmentally appropriate environment for learning

Keywords: Relationship, trust, developmental levels, educational theories, effective

teaching & learning, observation.

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Introduction

In my future profession as a physical therapist, I won’t be in an educational setting, yet

education is still of utmost importance. I won’t be educating students about academics, but I will

be educating induvials on a daily basis about their health. As a physical therapist it will not only

be my job to return my clients to a point where they have adequate range of motion and muscular

stability to return to activity, but to also educated them to prevent future injury and live a healthy

lifestyle. In order to be an effective teacher in those scenarios it is imperative that I am able to

build a relationship with the client, as well as provide the developmentally appropriate climate

for their needs.

Currently during the fall semester of 2021, I am enrolled in ED227: Introduction to

Middle and Secondary Students and Schools. The main course objective of this class was to

answer the question: How do educators create a developmentally appropriate environment for

learning? In order to answer the question ideas needed to be theorized by myself and related to

anecdotal evidence as well as literature and previous stated theories. I have theorized that the

overarching answer to that question is: An environment that prioritizes the relationship between

the student and the teacher is the most optimal for learning. That answer is also contingent upon

two subcategories; relationships require different needs at different developmental levels and

building a foundation of trust is the most important aspect of a positive relationship. Both

subcategories occurring allows the relationship to be built and therefore, the most optimal

learning to occur.

The task of answering the overarching question was accomplished by making weekly

visits to an inner-city high school in Indiana. Every Monday afternoon from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

the class and I would sit in on various lessons that had students ranging from freshman to seniors
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in high school. In addition to anecdotal evidence, various text resources were used to help bolster

the theories. Teaching in the Middle and Secondary Schools by Jioanna Carjuzaa and Richard D.

Kellough and Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond were used in

conjunction with various articles provided by Dr. Susan Adams as well as outside resources from

the internet.

Literature Review

Prioritization of Genuine Student-Teacher Relationship

In order for effective student learning to occur, the teacher in charge must prioritize and

understand the importance of their relationship with the student. In John Bowlby’s attachment

theory, he discusses how infants form attachments with their caregivers and yearn for that

attachment later in their lives. Not having that attachment with a caregiver can also lead to

adverse effects in the future (Cherry, How Attachment Theory Works, 2019). Children and

adolescence tend to cling to a stable person in their lives to find that attachment that they once

had. An optimal candidate for that job, teachers. Educators are put in a special position where

they are able to interact with children and adolescence for up to seven hours every day. With that

amount of interaction time, relationships will be built, but they can be both positive and genuine

or negative and harmful. It is important for the teacher to prioritizing making the relationship

positive and genuine so that the student can get the most out of their learning experience. A

genuine relationship between the teacher and the student can be built through a foundation of

trust and alterations based on the developmental level of the learner.

Building a Foundation of Trust

In order to foster a genuine student-teacher relationship, one of the most important

aspects to control for is trust. There can be trust without a positive relationship, but there cannot
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be a positive relationship without trust. Zaretta Hamond outlines a foundation of trust as one that

requires a teacher to use selective vulnerability, be familiar with the students and the educational

space, share a set of interests, express concern for the wellbeing of the students, and possess

competence in the content area (Hammond, 2015).

Selective Vulnerability. Selective vulnerability represents the trust that can be built

through one’s vulnerability. When a teacher, for example, shows that they too can make a

mistake the students see them as human which in turn builds their respect and allows them to

connect with the teacher on a deeper level. Most classroom environments are centered around a

teaching lecturing model, despite all the known benefits of student voice in the classroom

(Hammond, 2015). More students talking in the classroom helps to process learning, build

connections, expand one's thinking, as well as show the students that they can contribute.

Allowing the students to project their opinions and ideas shows that the teacher isn’t always

correct in their thinking and even they can change their mind about something.

Familiarity. Familiarity and regularity can be somewhat synonymous in this case. When

a student notices trends, patterns, procedures, and routines that are established by the teacher,

they tend to become more familiar with the teacher and the space, therefore increasing their trust

for sed teacher and space, (Hammond, 2015). Trends, patterns, procedures, and routines also

allow for more student engagement and with more student engagement familiarity is built

between the students as well as between the student and the teacher. It is recommended that

teachers customize their language, include activities, explicitly state the why’s and how’s of

learning, utilize wild topics, be transparent and involved, make learning transferrable, have

proper progression, and model what is requested of the learner in order to promote student

engagement and therefore learning, (Taylor, P. et al., 2011). An environment that encourages and
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utilizes student engagement builds comradery and familiarity between the students and between

the student and the teacher.

Similarity of Interests. A similarity in interests oftentimes can be the spark of a

relationship. When a teacher and a student, or two individuals in general, are able to bond over

something, both academic and nonacademic, they are able to build a much more well-rounded

connection than the basic student-teacher relationship (Hammond, 2015). Teachers can show a

similarity of interests with students through athletics, organizations and clubs, pop culture, and

other interests’ current students may hold. There doesn’t need to be a “best friend” dynamic

where the teacher and student share all of the same interests and hobbies, its actually far from

that. Although, when a teacher is able to relate and talk about things that their students are

interested or involved in, it helps to build their trust for one another.

Concern. Concern is a trait that is seen in many genuine relationships and represents the

regard two individuals share for each other. When a concern is expressed from one person (i.e.,

teacher) to another (i.e., student), it shows that they care more about who that person is on the

inside and wants the best for them, therefore making their bond stronger and deepening their

trust for one another (Hammond, 2015). Hammond claims that “the only way to get students to

open up to us is to show we authentically care about who they are, what they have to say, and

how they feel” (Hammond, 2015, p. 75). Expressing concern shows that the student and teacher

are on similar playing field and that the teachers care about the individual and doesn’t just see

them as a student. When an induvial feels comfortable and more trustworthy around someone

they tend to be more likely to open up. When a student opens up, there are able to soak

everything in and be in an optimal state for learning.

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Competence. Competence can come in various forms and presentations yet delivers a

similar message across the board; “you can trust me”. When an induvial who is in a position of

authority possesses, and expresses, competence in the subject area, it generally tends to attract

others. Those attracted then build a sense of trust for the individual because they see them as

someone who can help and support them through the learning process (Hammond, 2015). Going

back to Bowlby’s theory of attachment, children and adolescence are yearning for the

relationship with a caregiver they had, or did not have, as a child. An optimal caregiver in their

eyes would be someone who portrays that they can give adequate care and support them. In other

words, they may be looking for a competent induvial to put their trust in.

Relationships and Developmental Levels

Developmental changes occur throughout an individual’s lifetime, and adolescence is a

very important and active time in someone’s life developmentally. Erik Erickson’s stages of

psychosocial development place 12 through 18-year-olds into the identity versus role confusion

stage. As teens are transitioning into adulthood they are desperately trying to find their sense of

self. In order to find their sense of self, adolescence oftentimes will experiment with different

behaviors, activities, and identity roles. It is important for adolescence to be able to shape their

identity during this time. Shaping an identity helps individuals with commitment, self-

confidence, independence, and fidelity. Teachers are in a great position to be able to help

students find their identities. One way they can do this is through helping students understand

what their core values are. Once an induvial understands their core values they can utilize them

to help ignite motivation and create an identity revolving around them (Cherry, 2021). Jean

Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory places induvials over the age of 12 in the formal operant

stage. In the formal operant stage, individuals understand hypothetical problems, develop
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abstract thoughts, think about philosophical, moral, social, ethical, and political issues, and use

deductive logic (Cherry, 2020). Teachers can arrange activities to help boost abstract and

advance thoughts and hypotheticals to help students through this stage.

When looking at a high school specifically, students typically range in age from 14 to 18.

When looking at this age group in adolescence it can be further broken down into three stages:

early, middle, and late, (Spano, 2004). Each stage comes with its own set of unique needs, and in

order for genuine relationships to be built, those needs must be met. Teachers are able to help

form their relationship with students when they keep in mind Erickson’s stages of psychosocial

development, Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory, and the three stages of adolescences.

Each stage of adolescence involves individuals gravitating towards independence,

developing future interests, experiencing sexual and physical changes, and contemplating ethics

and their self-direction. Having this in mind when nurturing a positive and genuine relationship

involves consistency, kindness, respect, and warmth, (Spano, 2004). Those qualities can be

displayed through teaching style and personality as well as in the classroom environment. A

teacher can also encourage student independence through their thoughts and expressions. One

great opportunity to encourage independent thinking is through student choice. Student choice

can be obtained through a student-centered learning model, or an indirection instruction. When

using indirect instruction teachers provide student with access to information rather than

informing the students directly. Providing instruction through an access mode like indirection

instruction allows students to dive deeper into a broader range of content, they feel more

intrinsically motivated to learn, they have the capability to make their own decision based on the

material they are learning therefore providing them with more power and control, and in general,

they develop a greater sense of self-worth (Carjuzaa, J., 2017). Student choice can be seen in a
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classroom through the use of partner or group work, question selection, order of activities,

freedom of topic choice, and other commonly used tactics. In order to effectively use partner,

group, and cooperative learning, Lee Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development plays a large

role. The zone of proximal development is the region just outside of a learner’s knowledge that

they are able to obtain with a little bit of guidance. In a cooperative learning scenario, a teacher

might place students who are highly skilled with students who aren’t as skilled in order to push

them into the zone of proximal development (Cherry, Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive

Development, 2019). Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and student choice can be

combined with Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development, and Jean Piaget’s cognitive

developmental theory in order to effectively build relationships with students at all three of the

stages of adolescences.

Method

In order to accurately answer the overarching question, how educators create a

developmentally appropriate environment for learning, anecdotal evidence was gathered.

Evidence was gathered through observation at an inner-city high school located in Indiana. Over

a span of three months, the ED227 class would make visits on Monday afternoons from 1:00 PM

to 3:00 PM. The observations could have taken place in any number of class subjects with

students ranging from freshman to seniors in high school. In total, there were six observation

periods available to students all lasting around two hours. Anecdotal evidence was recorded

through the use of various tools provided by Dr. Adams. Those tools included observational

forms relating to class structure and activities, the eight lenses of observation, and the five

different trust generator categories.

Participants
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The inner-city high school where the anecdotal evidence was obtained consisted of just

over 1,000 students in grades 9-12. As of the 2018-2019 school year, there were 340 freshman,

288 sophomores, 204 juniors, and 197 seniors. Of the total enrolled students, 48.2% are black,

26.5% are Hispanic, 17.6% are white, 6.6% are mixed races, 0.8% are Asian, 0.2% are Native

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 0.1% are American Indiana/Alaskan Native. Those student

diversity numbers total an 82.4% minority enrollment. The population is split pretty evenly with

51% being female and 49% being male. 57% of the student population is also eligible for free

and/or reduced lunch options, classifying them below the poverty line. The high school employs

93 teachers making the student teacher ration 11:1 (US News, 2019).

Findings and Implications

When collecting anecdotal evidence, it was important to frame the recordings specifically

to answer the overarching question. In this case, the use of the five trust generator categories

observation organizer in addition with recording exact quotes and scenarios from students and

teachers proved to be the most useful.

Prioritization of Genuine Student-Teacher Relationship

When finding evidence of a genuine relationship between a teacher and their students, the

same contingents were made apparent. In order for a genuine student-teacher relationship to be

established a foundation of trust must be built and the relationship will require different needs at

different developmental levels.

Building a Foundation of Trust

In the same context as the literature review, a foundation of trust requires a teacher to use

selective vulnerability, be familiar with the students and the educational space, share a set of
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interests, express concern for the wellbeing of the students, and possess competence in the

content area (Hammond, 2015). Each area of the foundation of trust was witnessed and described

below as anecdotal evidence. All names have been altered to protect the identity of the students

and teachers described.

Selective Vulnerability. While Mr. Miller was leading his Geography and History of

America class to his junior students he realized that his PowerPoint had listed an error. As soon

as the error was noticed Mr. Miller quickly took responsibility and changed the number on the

PowerPoint directly in front of the class. By stopping the lecture and owning up to his mistakes,

Mr. Miller showed his class that no one is perfect, including the teacher. This type of

vulnerability allows for the students to be more comfortable with failure as well as trust their

teacher on a deeper level. Another example of selective vulnerability occurred when Mr.

Williams adjusted his class schedule. Mr. Williams recognized that his lecture was going longer

than anticipated and, instead of rushing through it, he apologized to the students and made the

decision to finish the lecture another time. Instead of attempting to finish the lecture, Mr.

Williams instead had the class complete a collaborative assignment based on the material he had

previously went over. By stopping the lecture and admitting his error in time management, Mr.

Williams was able to build trust with his students and show them that he also makes mistakes,

even if they are small time management ones.

Familiarity. Ms. Smith was able to build familiarity with her students by being friendly

and interactive with them. She would check up on her students to make sure they were all getting

their required work done, getting to class on time, and if they were enjoying their classes.

Outside of academics, Ms. Smith made an effort to memorize all students’ names as well as

interesting things about them. In one example, Ms. Smith talked to a group of students about the
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football game the weekend before and asked how the team was doing. Ms. Smith would also

express care for her students through high fives, fist bumps, or hugs and made the comment “I’ll

give you a hug at graduation.” Whether that was a motivational tactic or not, Ms. Smith was able

to build familiarity with her students to a point where they clearly trusted her. Many teachers

would also explicitly state rules and expectations for the class, but Ms. Johnson did especially

well at it. At the beginning of each class period Ms. Johnson would put the rules and

expectations on the board and remind the students of them before she got into her material for

the day. Setting that repetitive procedure helps her students build a sense of trust for the space

and her teaching style and antics.

Similarity of Interests. One way that Mr. Miller was able to build his similarity of

interests with his student was through the use of gum. Mr. Miller’s class was split with half of

the session taking place before the lunch hour, and half of the session taking place after the lunch

hour. Once the students came back from lunch, Mr. Miller offered each of them a stick of gum,

showing that like many of them, he enjoyed chewing gum. This gesture would also show

familiarity and concern with the students and is a well-rounded way to build trust with learners.

When Ms. Smith described an upcoming project she elected to do the presentations in small

groups rather than a single student lecture style. She let the students know that it wasn’t a speech

class and that she understood the nerves and anxiety that comes along with public speaking,

because she too felt that way when presenting in front of her peers or superiors. This shows

similarity between the teacher and student because they are both able to relate to the fact that

they do not enjoy public speaking.

Concern. During one of the observation days, there was some ongoing construction

happening at the high school. Mr. Miller’s class was located directly across from where the
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construction was occurring, and the sounds coming from that process were easily heard in the

classroom. Upon this occurring Mr. Miller initially apologized for the noise and distraction going

on and related the scenario to playing the cards you’re dealt, in this case, being at an older public

school where construction is bound to happen during class time. After the lesson concluded, Mr.

Miller again apologized for the disruptions and thanked the class for staying as focused as

possible with everything going on. The concern that Mr. Miller showed in relation to the

student’s ability to focus showed that he was concerned about everything going on, even outside

of his classroom. This simple gesture may have been a factor as to why the students were able to

stay on task despite the ongoing disruptions. On another occasion, at the beginning of Ms.

Smith’s class students claimed to have heard a taser go off in the hallway at the end of the

passing period. When hearing this Ms. Smith, immediately went out into the hallway to make

sure that no one was hurt or in danger, which no one was and it likely was not a taser. Regardless

of what actually occurred, the fact that Ms. Smith expressed concern for the claim the students

made inclined them to trust her with whatever needs they may have in the future. During one of

the periods while the ED227 class was observing in the classroom, a non-drill school-wide

lockdown occurred. This occurred during Mr. Miller’s class, and he was very quick to respond.

Mr. Miller remained calm and went through the proper protocol of shutting off the lights, locking

the door, and getting the students out of sight. During the active lockdown Mr. Miller expressed

to the students that it was going to be okay and portrayed a very calm demeaner, which seemed

to be contagious. After the “all clear” signal was given, Mr. Miller made an effort to approach

each student and ask how they were doing. By doing this, Mr. Miller put aside the class content

and prioritized the well-being of the students. Expressing concern after possibly traumatic events

can be a big factor in trust building.

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Competence. Mr. Miller was passionate about Geology and the History of America and

portrayed that very well in his classes. He was clearly knowledgeable in the subject field and was

able to answer all student questions presented to him. An important aspect of Mr. Miller was his

capability to relay that knowledge onto his students, which he was very capable of. It is

important in trust building to not only know the information but be capable of spreading that

information in a way that the learners understand.

Relationships and Developmental Level

Similarly to the literature review, teachers were able to incorporate access learning,

student choice, and collaborative learning into their classrooms in order to meet the needs of the

developmental level they were teaching. Together those strategies helped the teachers at the high

school more capable of forming a relationship with the students that they were teaching. In

general, it is important to remember that all “students listen and learn in different ways,” as Mr.

Williams stated.

Access learning. Mr. Miller gave the students an opportunity to choose a topic that

related to the American civil rights movement. He left it pretty open-ended which allowed

students to take things their own way but provided them with examples and ways to find the

information. Mr. Miller provided links to websites and videos if the students found them

necessary. Some students chose to research events such as sit-ins, boycotts, or riots, while others

chose to research specific people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, or Rosa Parks. Giving

the students freedom with what they chose and providing them with the correct guidance with

their decision allows the students to get the most out of the research project.

Student Choice. Ms. Marshall implemented student choice through the use of a dice

rolling method. When choosing the order to present quick research findings, the students rolled a
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die to determine which group would present first and so on. This method is effective because the

order of presentations is in the hands of the students. This also provides some motivation and

excitement for the students that may carry over into the presentation. Also, in Ms. Marshall’s

class student choice altered the lesson progression. In the beginning of the lesson, Ms. Marshall

had the student’s study and practice for a verbal test that was to occur later in the class period.

When the time came to start the verbal test a student made the comment: “before our test, maybe

we could have a bathroom break for any students that may need it.” Ms. Marshall granted this

request and allowed students to take a bathroom break before she would begin conducting the

verbal assessment. Allowing students to voice their thoughts and opinions can also relate to class

structure, as seen in this example.

Collaborative Learning. Collaborative learning was seen during many observations

throughout the time spent at the high school. Many teachers chose to place students into partners

or groups for projects, discussions, assignments, and even quizzes. In Ms. Smith and Ms.

Marshall’s class, partners or groups were implemented into almost every activity. In both classes

student desks were set up into groups of four. Right away this setup encourages collaborating

and helps to promote the zone of proximal development. In addition to group seating, both

teachers had students present in partners or groups in each presentation activity observed.

Conclusion

Effective teaching methods and techniques are applicable in all areas of life. In order to

be an effective teacher, an individual must create a developmentally appropriate environment for

learning. The environment can be created through genuine relationships between the teacher and

the learner. In order for a genuine relationship to form, there needs to be a ground layer of trust

built as well as the understanding that the relationship will look different at different
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developmental levels. According to literature, a foundation of trust can be built through the use

of selective vulnerability, familiarity with learners and the educational space, a shared set of

interests, expression of concern for the wellbeing of the students, and possession of competence

in the content area. When considering different developmental levels, it’s important to remember

Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and student choice, Erickson’s stages of psychosocial

development, and Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory in order to effectively build

relationships with students at all three of the stages of adolescences. When a foundation of trust

is built and the correct developmental needs are met, a genuine relationship can form and an

optimal environment for learning will be established.

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Cherry, K. (2019, July 17). How Attachment Theory Works. Verywell Mind. Retrieved
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