elementary school

junior high

school belonging

school engagement

social emotional

middle school

teachers perceptions

teacher student relationships

teacher expectations

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

Despite the significance of teacher–student relationships during the early years of school, questions remain about its long-term importance and whether the timing and variability of relationship quality matter. To address these gaps, data from the NICHD SECCYD were used to determine whether teacher-student relationships between kindergarten and sixth grade were associated with the achievement, social-behavior, and educational beliefs and aspirations of 1364 ninth graders (52% male, 80% White). Multivariate regression analyses revealed that when teachers reported closer relationships with students, in turn, students demonstrated modestly stronger outcomes across all domains. In contrast, more conflictual relationships were largely associated with underachievement and variability in relationship quality was not consistently associated with adolescent outcomes. Finally, although the benefits of teacher-student closeness were largely cumulative, teacher-student conflict in the later years was more strongly associated with student outcomes than earlier conflict. Collectively, results affirm the importance of teacher-student relationships for students' long-term development.

Teacher-student relationships across the first seven years of education and adolescent outcomes