Month/Year of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Brian McKevitt

Abstract

A teacher is the leader of their classroom. Strong teachers manage classroom climate, deliver engaging instruction, support students’ academic outcomes, and form lasting relationships with students. This study examined whether teacher–student relationship quality predicts student engagement, academic success, and subject interest, and whether classroom psychological safety and perceived teacher support help explain those links. Drawing on leader-member exchange (LMX) theory and educational psychology, the study treated teachers as classroom leaders and asked University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) undergraduates to recall either a positive or a negative experience with a high school core-course teacher. A total of 128 participants completed a researcher-adapted survey measuring the variables of interest. Results indicated that recalled positive teacher experiences were associated with significantly higher teacher–student relationship quality (i.e., LMX), psychological safety, teacher support, and engagement than recalled negative teacher experiences. Positive teacher recall was also associated with better grade performance, stronger post-course subject interest, greater perceived increase in interest, and greater willingness to take another course in the subject. Overall, the findings support the view that effective classroom leadership is not only instructional but also relational, and that the quality of the relationship between teachers and students is meaningfully associated with both academic and motivational outcomes.

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