Power and authority exist in every relationship. The relationship between teacher and student is no exception. Legitimacy is the cornerstone of authority, yet there is a dearth of research into how teacher legitimacy affects the teacher/student relationship. In the current study, I sought to identify characteristics and behaviors teachers exhibit that lead them to be perceived as legitimate by their students. Additionally, I examined the relationship between this perceived legitimacy and student outcomes. Using a sampling frame of military officers at Squadron Officer School in Montgomery, Alabama, I conducted focus groups to gather student perceptions regarding the teacher legitimacy characteristics. Then, using these characteristics, I developed an instrument to measure student perceptions of teacher legitimacy. Finally, I conducted regression analysis on data obtained with this instrument to assess whether perceived teacher legitimacy would significantly explain student outcomes. I hypothesized that after controlling for gender, student education level, instructor experience, and squadron of assignment that teacher legitimacy would significantly explain student outcomes in the form of end-of-course scores and scores on a measure of transformative experience (TE). Only the hypothesis regarding the relationship between teacher legitimacy and score on the TE measure was supported. Results of this study established teacher legitimacy as important to student outcomes and supported the inclusion of the concept of teacher legitimacy into the curricula of programs designed to educate those who would instruct adult learners. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]