Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships on Academic Self-Efficacy Among Secondary Students in Edo State

This study investigates the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic self-efficacy among secondary school students in Edo State, South South Nigeria. Self-efficacy beliefs, which encompass students' confidence in their ability to complete academic tasks successfully, are strongly shaped by the quality of relational experiences with significant adults in the school environment. Drawing on Bandura's self-efficacy theory, this research employed a descriptive correlational design with 390 students from public and private senior secondary schools in Benin City and Auchi. The Teacher-Student Relationship Scale and the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale were administered. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the variance in self-efficacy explained by different relational dimensions. Results indicate that teacher warmth, provision of academic support, and clear communication of expectations are the strongest predictors of students' academic self-efficacy. Students who reported positive teacher relationships showed higher persistence on challenging tasks and greater engagement with school activities. Female teachers were rated more positively on relationship quality by both male and female students. The study recommends that secondary schools in Edo State incorporate relationship-centred pedagogy into teacher professional development and that school heads monitor the quality of teacher-student interactions as a performance metric. Keywords: teacher-student relationships, academic self-efficacy, secondary students, Edo State, Bandura.