Examining the Role of Student–Instructor Interaction in Shaping Learning Outcomes in Higher Education

This study investigated how student–instructor interaction can impact academic performance, motivation and satisfaction in tertiary education across various learning contexts (face-to-face, online and hybrid). As higher education adopts digital and blended learning approaches, understanding the relationship between these interactions and student outcomes has become essential. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving a sample of 385 students at a higher education institution. Quantitative data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.27 and NVivo v.12 for thematic analysis. The results suggest that meaningful student–instructor interactions, including timely feedback and personalised support, substantially affect student motivation, engagement and academic performance. This means that around the majority of participants claimed to enjoy a positive correlation between interaction quality and academic achievement. Furthermore, students who perceived high levels of instructor support showed greater satisfaction with their learning experiences. This study strengthens the greater importance of building a positive rapport with students in in-person or digital learning settings. Also, it indicates that institutions should focus on delivering those strategies that can improve the quality of student-to-student and student–instructor interactions, and thus need to enable accessibility, personalisation and supportiveness of these exchanges in a growing digitalised world of higher education to help them achieve the best outcomes and satisfaction.