Exploring Teacher–Student Favoritism in University Classrooms: A Qualitative Inquiry into Students’ Learning Experiences

Abstract

This study aimed to explore teacher favoritism and its impact on students’ learning outcomes at the university level from the perspectives of students. Teacher favoritism, manifested through preferential treatment based on personal liking, disliking, or subjective preferences rather than academic merit, is a prevalent issue in higher education classrooms. The study sought to understand how students perceive teacher favoritism and how such practices influence their academic engagement, emotional well-being, and learning experiences. The research was guided by an interpretivist paradigm and employed a qualitative research approach to gain in-depth insights into students’ lived experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in public sector universities in Multan. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants who had experienced or observed teacher favoritism in university classrooms. The collected data were analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and meanings. Findings revealed that teacher favoritism negatively affects students’ learning outcomes by fostering feelings of insecurity, dissatisfaction, reduced self-confidence, and emotional distress. Participants reported that favoritism creates a biased and demotivating classroom environment, leading to conflicts among students and decreased academic participation. Moreover, perceived unfairness in assessment and classroom interactions weakened students’ trust in teachers and hindered their overall learning process. The study concludes that teacher favoritism undermines equitable learning opportunities and adversely affects the academic and emotional development of university students. It recommends that university teachers adopt fair, transparent, and inclusive instructional practices to promote a positive classroom climate and enhance student learning outcomes.