Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction
This study retrospectively assessed forum and module-based email communications between instructors and students. The data set analysed consisted of 40.000 forum posts and 10.000 Blackboard emails matched with 522 end of module student surveys extracted from 57 asynchronous and 100 % online postgrad...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Computers and Education Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557324000788 |
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| author | Stamatis Elntib |
| author_facet | Stamatis Elntib |
| author_sort | Stamatis Elntib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study retrospectively assessed forum and module-based email communications between instructors and students. The data set analysed consisted of 40.000 forum posts and 10.000 Blackboard emails matched with 522 end of module student surveys extracted from 57 asynchronous and 100 % online postgraduate modules. Using structural equation modelling, it was demonstrated that adaptive and maladaptive instructor interpersonal behaviors were inversely related. Student retention during the first two weeks was positively associated with instructor adaptive and maladaptive (mainly passive) forum behaviors and negatively associated with instructor disengagement from the forum discussions. Student retention from week 3 onwards was positively associated with adaptive forum and email instructor communication and with instructor active attempts to embrace student autonomy but was negatively associated with instructor empathy. Maladaptive email instructor behavior negatively predicted student-satisfaction. Diagnosing and mapping the archetypal relational styles instructors use to engage with students may allow a better understanding of the interpersonal dynamics of online student retention and satisfaction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83acbcc0ed0b469887a4c6c53e9b3716 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-5573 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computers and Education Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-83acbcc0ed0b469887a4c6c53e9b37162025-08-20T03:21:16ZengElsevierComputers and Education Open2666-55732025-06-01810023810.1016/j.caeo.2024.100238Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfactionStamatis Elntib0Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK; School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, UK; Correspondence to: School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, UK.This study retrospectively assessed forum and module-based email communications between instructors and students. The data set analysed consisted of 40.000 forum posts and 10.000 Blackboard emails matched with 522 end of module student surveys extracted from 57 asynchronous and 100 % online postgraduate modules. Using structural equation modelling, it was demonstrated that adaptive and maladaptive instructor interpersonal behaviors were inversely related. Student retention during the first two weeks was positively associated with instructor adaptive and maladaptive (mainly passive) forum behaviors and negatively associated with instructor disengagement from the forum discussions. Student retention from week 3 onwards was positively associated with adaptive forum and email instructor communication and with instructor active attempts to embrace student autonomy but was negatively associated with instructor empathy. Maladaptive email instructor behavior negatively predicted student-satisfaction. Diagnosing and mapping the archetypal relational styles instructors use to engage with students may allow a better understanding of the interpersonal dynamics of online student retention and satisfaction.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557324000788(Online) rapportRetentionDistance-learning |
| spellingShingle | Stamatis Elntib Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction Computers and Education Open (Online) rapport Retention Distance-learning |
| title | Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction |
| title_full | Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction |
| title_fullStr | Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction |
| title_short | Instructor Maladaptive and Adaptive Relational Styles (I-MARS) as drivers of online-student retention and satisfaction |
| title_sort | instructor maladaptive and adaptive relational styles i mars as drivers of online student retention and satisfaction |
| topic | (Online) rapport Retention Distance-learning |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557324000788 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stamatiselntib instructormaladaptiveandadaptiverelationalstylesimarsasdriversofonlinestudentretentionandsatisfaction |