The Influence of Teacher-Student Relationship on Students’ Academic Achievement at Indian Institute of Health and Allied Sciences (IIHAS), Kampala

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VICENT Nemeyimana

RN, BPH, MPH, PGDME

+256779342057; nemvicx@gmail.com

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Affiliates:

Jeph International University (Formerly, IIHAS)

Mulago National Referral Hospital

Miklah Life Limited

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Student product:

• Mutolere Nursing school
• Uganda Martyrs University
• Makerere University (HTC)

Introduction

• Teacher-student relationships (TSR) are pivotal in shaping students' academic success (Yu & Jiang, 2022).
• Positive interactions between teachers and students are said to enhance students' motivation for learning, attendance, participation, and overall academic achievement (Afzal et al., 2023).
• Some scholars have suggested a mutual benefit in which case teachers themselves find job satisfaction and longevity within the profession when TSR is good (Claessens et al., 2017).
• Unfortunately, tertiary education institutions, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa don’t prioritize these relationships and data is scarce (Froneman, Du Plessis, et al., 2016). Some prioritize hierarchical relationships (Chan et al., 2017).

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Problem statement

• Academic achievement and performance of students are still the topmost ways of justifying a school’s relevance (Fooladi et al., 2022). As such, all schools care about academic performance, nursing schools inclusive.
• Available evidence has suggested that nurturing positive teacher-student relationships could improve performance and the overall academic achievement of students (Z. Yu & Jiang, 2022).
• Unfortunately, data on the nature and impact of TSR is rare and most tertiary institutions do not prioritize it (Froneman, Du Plessis, et al., 2016). Some scholars have explored TSR in the African context, but mostly limit themselves to primary levels of education (Claessens et al., 2017).
• This study explored TSR and its influence on students’ academic achievement at IIHAS, now called Jeph International University.

Theoretical Framework

We applied Social Support Theory:

The theory explores how individuals receive assistance, resources, and emotional sustenance from their social networks, and how this support impacts their well-being, coping mechanisms, and outcomes in different life domains (Leahy-Warren, 2014).

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We hypothesized that positive teacher-student relationships act as a form of social support within the academic environment, leading to better academic performance.

This is possible via a number of pathways:

• Emotional
• Instrumental
• Informational
• Appraisal

Diagrammatic representation – Generated with AI, ChatGPT for presentation purposes only.

Diagrammatic Representation

Objectives

Main: To assess the influence of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement among nursing students at Jeph International University (formerly, the Indian Institute of Health and Allied Sciences – IIHAS).

Specific Objectives:

1. To assess the level of academic achievement of nursing students at IIHAS

2. To characterize the nature of the teacher-student relationship as perceived by students

3. To examine the influence of teacher-student relationship on students’ academic achievement

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Design & Methodology

• Utilizing a descriptive cross-sectional design, the study involved 150 participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data using an online tool called Kobo-Collect. Collected data was transferred to SPSS version 26, cleaned, organized, and analyzed.
• The analysis included descriptive statistics and Bloom's cut-off point to determine the level of academic achievement and the nature of teacher-student relationships.
• A chi-square statistical measure at 0.05 level of significance was used to assess the relationship between the observed level of academic achievement and the reported nature of teacher-student relationships.

Study Population, Sample, & setting

• The study took place at IIHAS (currently, Jeph International University - JIU). Having started in 2017, the school was rapidly expanding (900+ students), and academic achievement was a high priority, both for brand positioning and academic excellence.
• Certificate student nurses and midwives who had already done at least one exam from the Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Examination Board (currently known as UHPAB) were considered.
• From the school records, there were five classes of certificate nurses and midwives, each with an average of 50 students. A sample size of 150 students was achieved using simple random sampling.

Results: Level of Academic Achievement

• The level of academic achievement was good at 90% with few gaps in resource access, time management, and learning environment.

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Results: Nature of Teacher-Student Relationship

The nature of the teacher-student relationship was moderate at 76% with few gaps in attending to students’ emotional struggles.

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Results: The Influence of TSR on Academic Achievement – Chi-Square

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Chi-square analysis confirmed a significant association between positive teacher-student relationships and academic achievement, with a Chi-square value of 22.239 (p < 0.05) [χ2=22.239, P-value=0.001, degree of freedom=1].

Results: Academic Achievement & TSR

• Majority of participants acknowledged the positive impact of good teacher-student relationships on various aspects of their academic life.
• Specifically, 86.7% of participants agreed that these relationships boosted their motivation to learn, and 86.7% indicated improved class attendance.
• Additionally, 73% experienced reduced anxiety and stress, 78.7% participated more actively in class, and 87.3% felt these relationships were crucial for passing exams.

Discussion

• Academic Achievement: Across the world, academic performance is valued and mostly measured in grades, the same way we do here in Uganda. Our study revealed there are additional aspects of academic achievement other than grades, for example, confidence in clinical application and motivation to learn. These findings correlate with the literature reviewed in Peru (Arrascue, 2023) and other European contexts (Fooladi et al., 2022). Time management remained a challenge probably due to day-nature of IIHAS then.
• TSR: The study revealed a generally positive TSR, which contradicted a few other contexts in Uganda (Mubeezi & Gidman, 2017). However, these findings align with studies in the US and Europe; students communication, positive feedback, honesty and trustworthy, and interest in students’ success characterize TSR (Mortazavi et al., 2019; M. V. B. Yu et al., 2018).

Conclusion

• There existed a relationship between academic achievement and perceived teacher-student relationships.
• Considering the Chi-square measure of 22.3 at P-value 0.001 and Bloom’s score of 83, which is good, this relationship was positive, implying students who reported a positive teacher–student relationship were more likely to have good academic achievement compared to those with non-positive relationships.

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Implications for Health Professionals’ Education and Training in Uganda

• Positive teacher-student relationships boost academic performance, motivation, and well-being, emphasizing the need for mentorship-oriented teaching and supportive learning environments.
• Strengthening faculty pedagogical skills and integrating structured student support systems can improve training outcomes and ultimately contribute to a more competent and resilient health workforce.

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END

THANK YOU

Website: miklahlife.com/research

miklahlife@gmail.com

+256779342057

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