Instructor-Student Rapport and the Impact on Undergraduate Aviation Student Empowerment

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between undergraduate aviation student perception of instructor-student rapport and perceived student empowerment, as measured by the constructs of impact, meaningfulness, and competence. A survey comprised of the 6-item Professor-Student Rapport Scale- Brief (PSRS-B) (Wilson & Ryan, 2013) and the 35-item learner empowerment measure (Frymier et al., 1996) was disseminated to undergraduate students in Aviation Management and Professional Flight in the School of Aviation. The survey data were analyzed using linear regression and the results indicated there was a statistically significant relationship between instructor-student rapport and undergraduate aviation student feelings of empowerment. Further, a statistically significant relationship was found between instructor-student rapport and student feelings of impact, meaningfulness, and competence. Specifically, the measures of empowerment and meaningfulness were found to be more strongly associated with rapport than impact and competence. If there is a relationship between instructor-student rapport and student feelings of empowerment, it is incumbent on instructors to create classroom environments promoting rapport with students to support their empowerment. In turn, empowered students may be able to take this empowerment into their communities to increase critical consciousness.