The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships On Student Creative Performances in Architectural Design Studio

• Published in: The education review, USA USA, 2020-02, Vol.4 (2), p.30-37
• Main Authors: Lodson, Joyce, Ogbeba, John Emmanuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Architects; Architectural Education; Architecture; Building Design; Classrooms; Creativity; Education; Learning; Learning Processes; Student teacher relationship; Teaching methods; Tutoring
• ISSN: 2575-7938; 2575-7946
• DOI: 10.26855/er.2020.02.002

The relationship between tutor and student is fundamental at all levels of education, right from elementary all the way up to the higher institution. Teachers and students spend a great deal of time together in the classroom and it is important that there be good interactions between them because of the effect these interactions have on the students' performances. Within the architectural set-up, the design studio is the platform where students spend the highest percentage of their time and it is here that they also engage in intensive one-on-one sessions with their tutors. This paper has attempted to consider the types of tutor profiles most common in architectural studios and how these profiles impact on the tutors' relationships with their students. The paper has also attempted to ascertain the effect of students-tutor's relationships on students' creativity in the design studio. At the end, the paper has been able to highlight various types of tutor profiles found among design tutors. These include among others, the forceful and assertive hegemonic overlord, the propagandist entertainer and the liminal servant. It has been found that the tutors relate in different ways with their students based on their profile and that there is indeed a relationship between how the tutors relate with their students and the student's creative performances. For instance, tutors who are assertive and forceful often make their students feel repressed and unable to express themselves freely. This in turn suppresses the creative abilities of the students. The paper recommends that there be a well-structured educational system set in place so that architectural educators know what is required of them and how to go about fulfilling those requirements.