Research from Associate Professor Barjinder Singh highlights how encouragement from instructors and the learning environment may strengthen student confidence and success.
A new study co-authored by Barjinder Singh, associate professor of management in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, suggests that when students feel supported by their instructors and learning environment, they may gain more confidence in their ability to learn and perceive stronger learning outcomes.
The research, titled “Antecedents of learning: Role of contextual support and learning self-efficacy,” was published in the Journal of Education for Business and co-authored by Stephanie Solansky at Texas State University and Donna Stringer at the University of Houston–Clear Lake.
Singh and his co-authors surveyed business students at a large Midwestern university, using conservation of resources theory to examine how support from the environment can strengthen students’ confidence and learning.
“As an instructor, I use my research to shape how students experience the classroom climate. Our study shows that inclusion is the backbone of support, fostering psychological safety that strengthens self-efficacy and drives learning outcomes,” said Singh. “I bring this into practice by creating a sense of belonging, elevating student voices, modeling vulnerability and scaffolding assignments so that even small wins build momentum toward greater mastery.”
Key findings:
- Students who feel supported by their instructors and classroom environment are better motivated and more capable of learning.
- Confidence in their ability to learn plays a central role in linking support to positive learning outcomes.
- Thoughtful academic practices and caring instruction may strengthen both student confidence and overall success.
Singh, who joined Elon in 2017, teaches courses in organizational behavior, human resource management and business ethics. His research has appeared in leading journals including the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics and Human Resource Management.