RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS' WORKLOAD AND STUDENT-TEACHER INTERACTION: INSIGHTS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between university teachers’ workload and student-teacher interaction in higher education. By administrating standardized questionnaires which had five positioned Likert scale, data was collected from 406 university teachers in public and private universities in Lahore. Teachers’ Workload Scale (TWS) developed by Dr Rani Gul and Role Overload Scale developed by Reilly were used to measure teachers’ workload. And Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) developed by Robert C Pianta was used to measure student-teacher interaction in higher education. Content validity of the questionnaires was maintained by taking consultant advise from three experts from institution of Education and Research, University of the Punjab.  Reliability analysis confirmed strong internal consistency 0.82, whereas the “alpha” values for the subscales varied from 0.72 to 0.83. the “alpha” values indicates that the data set possesses an adequate level of reliability.

A multistage sampling technique was employed, starting with the random selection of four universities, followed by identifying the education discipline in each university. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and independent sample t-test were performed to analyzed the data. Findings indicate a negative correlation between teachers’ workload and student-teacher interaction, with increased workload associated with poorer interaction. No significant gender differences were found in perceived workload, though female teachers reported slightly higher scores. t-tests examined differences across institutions and gender, while Pearson correlation assessed relationships between variables. The study recommends mitigating workload impact through redistribution, technology use, reduced class sizes, and training on effective interactions. Institutional changes should foster a supportive academic culture, valuing teachers' contributions and encouraging collaboration. Findings highlight the need for coherent policies to address workload concerns while enhancing student-teacher relationships.