Variables affecting positive faculty-student relationships in an Ecuadorian university

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main variables that affect the establishment of a good faculty-student pedagogical relationship in representative samples from a main university in Ecuador. Design/methodology/approach In the first phase of this exploratory mixed methods study, focus groups were conducted to identify the variables of interest, and in a second phase, these variables were rated in relevance by applying the “pile-sort” method. Findings Results showed that for students, the variable that most affects the establishment of a good relationship with their faculty is the “faculty’s knowledge,” while the variable that showed the least effect is the “number of students in the classroom.” On the other hand, faculty members responded that the variables that most affect the establishment of a good pedagogical relationship are “empathy with students,” “vocation” and “faculty’s knowledge,” while they considered that the least relevant variables were “context” variables such as “the number of students in the classroom” and “the physical conditions of the classroom.” Practical implications These results provide relevant insights into the importance that students place on the theoretical resources that faculty members show as a foundation for establishing positive relationships. In the same way, the relevance that faculty members place on the elements “empathy,” “vocation” and “knowledge” as key variables needed to establish positive interactions. Originality/value Previous research had underlined the importance that positive faculty-students relationships have on achieving learning goals. However, the variables that would affect the establishment of these relationships were not clearly recognized.