Cross-Lagged Associations Between Problem Behaviors and Teacher-Student Relationships in Early Adolescence

Abstract

This study investigated the cross-lagged associations between teacher-student relationships and problem behaviors in a sample of 440 Finnish students (half of them identified as being at risk for reading difficulties). The degree to which these associations were moderated by a child's gender, academic performance, risk for reading difficulties, parental education, and having the same teacher over two years was examined. The teachers evaluated the students' problem behaviors and reported closeness and conflict with a particular student. The results showed that the higher the students scored on externalizing problems in Grade 4, the more conflict teachers reported two years later. Moderator analyses revealed that internalizing problems predicted higher levels of closeness for boys only. Conflict predicted internalizing problems among students who had the same teacher across the two years. The results emphasize the importance of investigating the transactional links in different subgroups.

Theory of Mind, Emotion Knowledge, and School Engagement in Emerging Adolescents

“…More precisely, such positive links between cognitive ToM and students' perceptions of their relationships with their family show that these affective interactions also play a role in students' social and metacognitive abilities (Midgley et al, 1989). Thus, such findings support past research that suggests a bi-directional relation exists between social cognitive abilities and relationship quality in that family and teacher relations may reciprocally influence students' higher-level thinking about emotions and mental states (O'Connor & McCartney, 2007;Pakarinen et al, 2018;Van den Bedem et al, 2018).…”

“…However, following negative academic or social experiences, such as low grades, or conflict with teachers, parents, and peers, these sophisticated social-cognitive abilities may also have a negative impact on students' psychological well-being (Eccles & Roeser, 2011). For example, the psychosocial theory of self-determination claims human well-being and healthy motivation (e.g., intrinsic motivation) are nourished by the fulfillment of three fundamental psychological needs: the need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2014;Dweck, 1999;Pakarinen et al, 2018).…”

“…That is, past studies on children's social cognition shows that the students who hold incremental beliefs about emotions (as opposed to entity beliefs) are more likely to score high in self-regulation and well-being. Such findings suggest that gender may influence the links between students' emotion knowledge and relationships within school (Pakarinen et al, 2018;Spilt et al, 2012), mental well-being (Bosacki, 2016;Hughes, 2011;.…”

“…Past studies show that students learn in close collaboration with peers and family (Carpendale & Lewis, 2004;Moll & Tomasello, 2007). Thus, adolescents' academic engagement and success are likely to be strongly influenced by the quality of these social relationships (Pakarinen et al, 2018). For example, past studies report significant relations between emotion regulation and children's academic competence (measured via both teacher's ratings and children's scores on formal tests) in school-aged children (Trentacosta & Izard, 2007).…”

The roles of teacher–student relationship quality and self-concept of ability in adolescents’ achievement emotions: temperament as a moderator

“…Teacher-student relationships are developmentally significant for students' socioemotional adjustment and achievement in school (e.g. Bergin and Bergin 2009;Hamre and Pianta 2001;Pakarinen et al 2018). There are several theoretical reasons as to why teacher-student relationship quality can be assumed to also be related to adolescents' achievement emotions.…”