The role of classroom relationships as sources of academic resilience and hope

Framed by relationships motivation theory, this study examined students’ interpersonal relationships with instructors and peers as potential sources of support that would inspire academic resilience and hope in the face of an academic challenge. Participants (N = 213) reported on a specific academic challenge they had experienced within the first 10 weeks of class, and reported on instructor rapport, classroom connectedness, academic resilience, and hope. Results revealed that when both instructor and peer relationships were considered together, only peer connectedness was significantly and positively associated with academic resilience and student hope when faced with an academic challenge.