Investigating the potential for first year residential field courses to facilitate the establishment of teacher-student relationships in biological sciences undergraduate degrees

Teacher-student relationships (TSRs) in higher education impact many aspects of the student experience, including engagement and performance. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms of establishment of TSRs, and in particular how these are influenced by specific learning environments and contexts. Here, we undertake an exploratory investigation using first year biological sciences undergraduate residential field courses to examine how this teaching context affected the frequency and nature of teacher student interactions, and consequently the development of TSRs. Data were collected from teacher and student participants using questionnaires and focus groups. We found that interactions during fieldwork took place frequently and tended to be more positive than on campus. At the end of the field course, we found a statistically significant increase in students’ perceptions of their teachers as supportive and honest, which may be attributable to teachers providing immediate feedback on student work. Findings also indicate that positive effects may persist beyond the fieldwork with students being more comfortable approaching teachers back on campus. These findings have important implications for the value of experiential learning environments such as fieldwork for the development of positive TSRs.