PERCEPTION OF NURSING STUDENTS ABOUT TEACHER-LEARNER RELATIONSHIP AND THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MADONNA UNIVERSITY, RIVERS STATE.

ABSTRACT Good and supportive teacher-student relationship is needed to create safe environments and give students confidence to work without pressure, feel more secure, competent, and eventually lead to high academic satisfaction. The study aimed to assess nursing students' perception toward teacherstudent relationship and its effect on their academic grades. The present cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Nursing Sciences in Madonna University, Rivers State. Study subjects included simple random sample from all undergraduate nursing students 420 out from 894 enrolled in 2nd, 3rd, 4th years at 2021/2022 in the Department of Nursing. The instrument for data collection consisted of items on different aspects of student-teacher relationship for which the responses were measured on a 4-point scale. The response rate was about 83%. The current relationship between the student and the teacher was evaluated as very good and good by 61% of the study sample. The responses were associated with their grades as (X p=6.25P, p=0.012). Eighty-four point one percent of students with higher and above average grades felt that expulsion from class was an appropriate means of controlling the class. Also (78.2%) students felt that the teachers treated them with respect. and their responses were significantly associated with their grades (X p =P 11.8, p=0.0()3). Eighty-four percent of the students with higher and above average grades strongly agreed that teacher's performance was affected by' students' attendance or absence and the responses were significantly associated with their grades (X2p =4.35P, p=0.037). The responses to most of the items by the students were independent bf their grades. It was, concluded that student-teacher relationship was good in a medical school and the views of students on this relationship were independent with their academic grades. Further study which includes from 1st year to 5th year undergraduate students is required to give a broader view of student-teacher relationship in tertiary institutions. particularly the medical schools. Word Count: 312 words