The correlation between student/instructor rapport, student perceptions of instructor effectiveness and course grade expectations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between student/instructor rapport, student perceptions of instructor effectiveness, and course grade expectations.  Previous studies have determined that rapport affects motivation (Bergström, 2010; Frisby, Berger, Burchett, Herovic, & Strawser, 2014; Legg & Wilson, 2009), perceptions of teacher effectiveness (Giles, 2011; Kozub, 2010), and evaluation scores (Barth, 2008; Kowai-Bell, Guadango, Little, & Ballew, 2012).  Student ratings of instruction are the most widely used measure of college teaching effectiveness. Determining what causes one subject to boost a student’s rapport with the instructor might help educators apply that knowledge to other subjects. The study was conducted as quantitative research using a non-experimental correlational research design. Data were collected using two instruments, the Professor-Student Rapport Scale and the IDEA Student Ratings of Instruction Short Form.  The data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r) and Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient (Spearman’s r_s).  The study found statistically significant positive correlations between Professor-Student Rapport and Instructor Evaluation and between Professor-Student Rapport and Student Expected Course Grade.