The Power of Teacher-Student Relationships to Optimise Student Outcomes

National Test Statement: This project will establish which elements of teacher-student relationships optimise students’ motivation, engagement, and achievement in secondary school. Identifying how teachers can build and maintain the relationships that foster adolescents’ academic success in the short- and long-term has significant social and economic benefits. Student disengagement and attrition cost the Australian economy $896 million annually. Students who experience positive relationships with their teachers tend to have higher engagement and achievement and are less likely to leave school. There is a high rate of teacher attrition (5% annually) in Australia. Teachers who experience positive relationships with students report less burnout and are less likely to leave the profession. By providing teachers and students with an evidence-based model to cultivate and sustain positive relationships, this project will contribute to the improvement of Australian educational systems, quality teaching, and student outcomes in the core subjects of Mathematics, Science and English that are essential to a high calibre Australian workforce.