Teacher–Student Relationships and Personalized Learning: Implications of Person and Contextual Variables

Personalized learning involves instruction that is differentiated and paced to the needs of the learner and shaped by the learning preferences and interests of the learner. In personalized learning environments, “the learning objectives and content as well as the method and pace may all vary” (U.S. Department of Education, 2010, para. 13). Important in constructing personalized learning environments is an understanding of the developmental needs and functioning of the learner and the environments and social forces that help shape the learners’ experiences and adjustment.

In personalized learning, competency aims are held constant across learners, and learning needs, pacing, instructional practice, and teaching strategies may vary as a function of the learner. Personalized learning is meant to enhance students’ motivation and engagement by increasing their autonomy and self-direction. Redding (2013) suggests that personalized learning also involves the teacher’s relationship with students and their parents and the awareness of their needs and resources. Personalized learning includes teachers’ awareness of students’ needs and attributes in order to scaffold their learning to foster their self-direction and self-efficacy and enhance their social and emotional competencies.