Promoting Productive Academic Conferences: Educators’ Perceptions through the Interpersonal Alliance Model

Abstract

Academic conferences are essential venues for professional growth, collaboration, and knowledge exchange among educators. Anchored in the Interpersonal Alliance Model, this study examined how such gatherings promote productive professional relationships and meaningful engagement. Using a mixed survey approach, data were collected from 104 educators attending regional conferences in Eastern Visayas, Philippines. Results indicate that participants highly value conference purposes such as updating teaching trends, fostering research collaboration, and enhancing professional interaction. The findings also reveal that these events value environments characterized by respect, open communication, and reciprocal ethics which are key elements of the Interpersonal Alliance Model. Viewed from the educational programs management (EPM) framework, the study underscores the strategic role of academic conferences as integral components of institutional professional development programs. Incorporating interpersonal alliance principles into conference design and management can improve program coherence, strengthen collaborative culture, and enhance educators’ motivation for continuous learning. These insights emphasize that well-structured conferences, when managed within EPM lenses, contribute not only to individual professional competence but also to institutional capacity for innovation and sustainable educational improvement.