Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, the once-steady foundations of teaching writing have been shifting beneath our feet. Much of the conversation has focused on the threats generative AI poses to academic integrity and student learning, as students potentially outsource their thinking. But amid the concern about plagiarism and performance, a deeper and less discussed issue is emerging: the strain AI can place on the educator-student relationship.
With the widespread adoption of generative AI tools by students, alongside growing concerns from educators about the integrity of student work, interactions between the two can, at times, feel adversarial. Whether real or perceived, this tension risks undermining the trust and partnership essential to effective practices for teaching writing, as well as meaningful learning. Yet, educators and students were never meant to be on opposite sides. In fact, the strongest learning environments are grounded in mutual respect, transparency, and connection.
Why the student-educator relationship matters in the age of AI
The importance of that relationship is underscored by research. Turnitin, in collaboration with Vanson Bourne, explored the evolving impact of AI in the classroom in our recent whitepaper, "Moving Forward with AI: A Shared Responsibility in Education" (2025). The findings reinforce what many of us already know from experience: that trust and collaboration between students and educators are critical to navigating this new landscape. When students feel supported and educators are equipped with tools that foster visibility into the learning process, the result is not just academic honesty, but authentic learning.
We’ve experienced this firsthand. As co-authors, we both remain in touch with former students, with elements of mentorship, partnership, and genuine friendship developing over time. And we’re not alone: research confirms that strong educator-student relationships are some of the most influential factors in student success (e.g., Dai, 2024; Dweck, 2006; Gilligan, 1982; Hattie, 2018; Liu, 2024; Noddings, 2005), among many others.
With this in mind, how do we bridge the growing gap in trust and support - going both ways! - caused by the rapid adoption of AI? One solution lies in greater transparency. Turnitin Clarity, an add-on to Turnitin Feedback Studio, offers a way forward. Educator workloads are streamlined with a writing report that provides insights into writing time, source use, and revision needs, reducing–even eliminating–reliance on student self-reporting. When combined with their knowledge of student work, educators can better understand writing processes, tailor instruction, and design assignments that support diverse learners and promote strong writing habits.
For students, this transparency offers immediate support: everything they need is in one efficient, guided writing space. Assignment instructions, rubrics (if uploaded by an instructor), due dates, responsible AI use tools, and familiar editing features are all integrated, helping students stay focused, supported, and honest in their writing journey.
Academic integrity, teaching writing, and the AI divide
Academic integrity is foundational to writing in educational settings. When AI use is considered, the impact on academic integrity grows, as both educators and students strive to understand its appropriate application. There can be huge divides between what one instructor or institution considers the ethical use of AI, from another instructor to another, or even what is considered an “appropriate” use of AI from one assignment to the next for the same educator.
How to navigate ethical AI usage can be complex, even when approached in good faith.
A significant but often overlooked impact of academic dishonesty is the erosion of trust between students and educators, as the need to question and verify originality can cause lasting damage to the relationship.
An overlooked casualty: student-educator relationships
As AI continues to evolve in education, one of the most under-discussed consequences is its impact on the student–educator relationship. Trust, which is so foundational to learning, can quickly erode when assumptions replace understanding.
So, what do students and educators really believe about AI?
Let’s break down several assumptions—and the surprising realities—that help illuminate where misalignment is happening, and why restoring trust is more important than ever.
Common myths about AI usage in education
Assumption: Educators are more concerned about the ethical AI use than students.
Reality: Students are outpacing all other groups surveyed (academic administrators and educators) in terms of their challenges and concerns around AI. 64% of students are worried about the use of AI within education, more so than educators (50%) and academic administrators (41%) (Vanson Bourne & Turnitin, 2025).
Assumption: Educators know how to use AI, but simply don’t want to.
Reality: 47% of educators and administrators said, “I want to leverage AI to make better decisions, for my teaching and students/ for my organization, but I don’t necessarily know how.” (Vanson Bourne & Turnitin, 2025).
Assumption: Students use AI so frequently that they are fully prepared to enter the workforce.
Reality: Organizations expect the workforce of the future to be AI-ready, but students are currently unprepared. 67% of students agree that AI is essential in helping them prepare for the workforce and their future career (Vanson Bourne & Turnitin, 2025).
What implications does this have for students and educators? Healthy relationships are predicated on trust. Students must be able to trust that educators and administrators will address the challenges and concerns they have around AI. Students must be able to trust that educators will be prepared to use AI to make the necessary adjustments in terms of curriculum and instruction. Students must be able to trust that educators are willing to take the steps necessary to be able to prepare them for a future where they can integrate the ethical use of AI in the workplace.
How to reclaim trust with students using AI
Using one writing platform that provides singular advantages to both educators and students is a strong step in the right direction towards strengthening relationships. Shifting away from a system that requires students to constantly prove their integrity alleviates significant stress, allowing them to focus more fully on the writing process itself.
When the burden of self-reporting and demonstrating originality is lessened, students can channel their energy into developing their ideas and refining their expression, rather than worrying about potential accusations of plagiarism. This shift fosters a more creative and less anxious learning environment, where students are encouraged to experiment with their writing and engage more deeply with the material. This shift may lead to students being empowered to use some AI tools when permitted by their instructor.
Ultimately, removing the emphasis on proving integrity enables students to prioritize content and quality in their work. Turnitin Clarity offers the transparency in that writing space to do that learning.
Relationships as a foundation for learning
The patterns related to educator-student relationships having a positive impact on academic environments is one documented around the world. A recent study published in the European Journal of Psychology of Education found that trust between students and teachers may be even more complex and influential than previously understood. Within a German secondary school, researchers observed that even “simple day-to-day interactions” helped “strengthen student-teacher relationships, cultivate positive learning environments, and support student growth.” This reinforces what many global educators experience daily: trust is built not only through major interventions but through consistent, meaningful engagement (Holzer & Daumiller, 2025).
According to Dr. John Hattie’s 2018 research, teacher-student relationships carry an effect size of 0.52—a substantial impact that surpasses significant factors in secondary education like parental involvement, time on task, and after-school programs. For reference, any effect size above 0.4 is considered to have a meaningful, positive influence on learning.
But even more striking is Hattie’s later research on teacher credibility, which has an effect size of 1.09—one of the highest predictors of student achievement (Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2021). The key to establishing that credibility? Trust—specifically, students’ belief that their teacher genuinely has their academic and social well-being at heart. In Classroom Management That Works (Marzano et al., 2003), “fostering positive student–teacher relationships” is highlighted as a foundational pillar of effective classroom management, linking strong relationships directly to improved academic behaviors, further validating Hattie’s metrics many years later.
All together, these findings, traversing long spans of time and change in education, affirm what many educators already know: trust and connection between students and educators are not just nice to have—they are critical for learning. When those relationships are damaged, learning outcomes are at risk. This consistently proven fact has always been true, perhaps even more so in the age of AI-fueled uncertainty.
That’s why tools like Turnitin Clarity matter. By bringing visibility and transparency into the writing process, Turnitin Clarity helps repair and strengthen the trust that’s essential to meaningful learning and the practice of teaching writing effectively.
A call to reconnect while teaching writing
As former educators, we see how generative AI can tempt students to outsource their thinking, saddling teachers with detective work and students with constant proof of integrity. Therefore, this moment calls for educators to pull back and refocus on connection, trust, and leadership, to reforge the bonds of strong relationships with students, without sacrificing learning or integrity. With this blog, that is what we are inviting educators to do. The transparency, insights, learning opportunities, and protection that Turnitin Clarity offers to both educators and students create the space to do just that.
At the end of the day, both students and educators want a system that safeguards learning in order to ensure that students leave their educational experience with the knowledge, skills, and understandings to prepare them to enter the world of work and society equipped to engage and excel.
Works cited
Dai, P. (2024). The influence of teacher–student relationship on students’ learning [Lecture Notes in Educational Psychology and Public Media, Vol. 40, pp. 240–246]. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/40/20240764
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-08575-000
Fisher, D., Frey, N., Smith, D., & Hattie, J. (2020). The distance learning playbook for school leaders: Leading for engagement and impact in any setting. Corwin.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Harvard University Press.
Holzer, A., & Daumiller, M. (2025). Building trust in the classroom: Perspectives from students and teachers. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 40(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-00961-7
Liu, X. (2024). Effect of teacher–student relationship on academic engagement: The mediating roles of perceived social support and academic pressure. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1331667
Marzano, R. J. (2003). Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher (ERIC No. ED482825). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED482825
Noddings, N. (2005). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press. (Original work published 1992) https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED377590
Turnitin & Vanson Bourne. (20250. Crossroads: Navigating the intersection of AI in education [Whitepaper]. Turnitin. https://www.turnitin.com/whitepapers/ai-in-education
VISIBLE LEARNING. (2018). Hattie effect size list – 256 influences related to achievement. Retrieved from https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/