Student-Teacher Relationships and Impacts of Goal Orientation, Personality, Socio-Economic Status, and Performance: An Examination of Those Served by Project GRAD Knoxville

This study seeks to understand the importance of teacher student relationships and the impacts of goal orientation, personality, socio-economic status, and student achievement. The study used a sample of students served by Project GRAD Knoxville, a non-profit organization that serves students in the heart of the city. The sample consisted of 110 college students who have received a scholarship from the organization. The results show that learning goal orientation is a significant predictor of student-teacher relationships. Knowing a student’s LGO and time spent discussing social topics can predict whether or not students will end up on academic probation 64% of the time. Females report higher levels of performance goal orientation than men.