How Do Teachers Matter in the GenAI Era? A Meta‐Analysis of the Relationship Between Teacher Interpersonal Behaviours and Student Learning

ABSTRACT Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping higher education, necessitating a reassessment of the role of teacher interpersonal behaviours in this context. This meta‐analysis synthesised 156 effect sizes from 30 studies conducted during the GenAI era (2023–2025) on the relationship between teacher interpersonal behaviours and student learning outcomes in higher education. Subgroup analyses were conducted for the dimensions of teacher support and student learning, accounting for the multidimensionality of both constructs. Results suggested a medium‐to‐large and positive relationship, and the strength of this relationship did not vary significantly across different types of teacher support or dimensions of student learning. These findings reveal the enduring importance of teacher interpersonal behaviours and the complexity of teachers' interpersonal roles in the GenAI era, requiring teachers to simultaneously provide emotional connection, cognitive guidance, and structural clarity, and underscoring the need for teacher professional development programmes to emphasise holistic interpersonal competencies.