The Reasons for Unharmonious Teacher-student Relationship
师生关系不和谐的原因
As many former college students remember, when they were in college, students were fond of discussing problems with professors in their field in class. Professors were oftentimes invited to participate in students’ extra-curricular activities. According to those former college students, at that time students deemed professors as close friends that they could take into their confidence. However, both college students and professors are frustrated by the new type of teacher-student relationship.On various occasions, students absorb themselves in their own business such as reading novels, sending short messages, sleeping and etc., while professors are delivering their lectures. Despite the fact that many professors would like to avail every means to persuade students to actively participate in class discussion, students seem to be indifferent. Undoubtedly, there are different factors that account for this unharmonious relationship. As for me, credit system should take the blame.
Firstly, with the adoption of credit system, students are likely to perceive that the goal of attending class is to earn credits. To quote a famous professor’s comments, “Are there any students who are willing to attend lectures in line with their own interests? I think to earn credits ranks top in their priorities to attend lectures.” Motivated by this mindset, students are likely to lose interest in the courses they choose. What matters is not what they will learn from professors; instead, they only show interest in how they can pass final exams with minimum efforts. Consequently, so long as they can perform successfully in final exams and earn required credits, whether they concentrate on class or not is not a big deal.
Secondly, the adoption of credit system also results in some changes in professors’ mindset. Given that students perceive attending lectures to earn credits, professors would realize that no matter how hard they try to persuade students to participate in class, they are only rewarded by students’ indifference. When these professors can not find fulfillment in the interaction with students in class, they are so frustrated that many of them will pay more attention to their research so as to be promoted to a higher rank. In consequence, professors will allocate less time to prepare for the coming lectures. Gradually, professors would find no passion, no fulfillment, and no incentive in class, which is to the detriment of teacher-student relationship in any sense.
On all accounts, when college students and professors are bonded by several credits, the once sacred relationship is reduced to a trade relationship: students pay to earn credits and professors provide services by giving lectures. How can we expect an intimate relationship in this circumstance?
