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Teacher–student relationship and academic achievement: a cross-lagged longitudinal study on three different age groups

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Abstract

Although the relation between teacher–student relationship and academic achievement has been addressed in many studies, the reciprocal relations between these two constructs have not been explored sufficiently. The aim of the present study was to test three competing models that hypothesized directionality of influence in relations between teacher acceptance, student-perceived teacher support, and academic achievement. Eight hundred sixteen students from 3 different grade levels in Slovenian elementary and secondary schools, covering the age range from late childhood through early-to-middle adolescence, participated in the study at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Structural equation modeling was used. Different models of relations between teacher acceptance, student-perceived teacher support, and academic achievement were analyzed using the cross-lagged panel correlation technique. The results supported the hypothesized reciprocal model, indicating the relation between teacher acceptance and academic achievement in both directions. Student-perceived teacher personal support partially mediates the relation between teacher acceptance and achievement in both directions on the whole sample but not in specific age groups. Finally, we found some age-specific differences in the relations between teacher acceptance, teacher personal support, and achievement.

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Notes

  1. However, according to the document “Religious, linguistic and ethnic structure of the population of Slovenia” (Šircelj 2003), the biggest ethnic group in Slovenia are Slovenes (83.1 %). Others are Serbs (2.0 %), Croats (1.8 %), Bosniaks (1.1 %), and others/unspecified (12.0 %).

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive input on previous versions of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Katja Košir

  2. Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Sara Tement

Authors
  1. Katja Košir
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  2. Sara Tement
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Correspondence to Katja Košir.

Additional information

Katja Košir, PhD. Faculty of Education, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: katja.kosir@uni-mb.si; Web site: http://www.pef.um.si

Current themes of research:

Students’ social relations in school context. Assessment of students’ social relations. Teachers’ professional development.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Košir, K., Pečjak, S. (2005). Sociometry as a method for investigating peer relationships: What does it actually measure? Educational Research, 47(1), 127–144.

Košir, K. (2005). The influence of teacher’s classroom management style on pupils’ self-regulative behaviour. Studia Psychologica, 47(2), 119–144.

Košir, K., Sočan, G., Pečjak, S. (2007). The role of interpersonal relationships with peers and with teachers in students’ academic achievement. Reviev of Psychology, 14(1), 43–58.

Košir, K. (2011). Spol in starost učencev kot dejavnika razlik v učiteljevi naklonjenosti, zaznani podpori učitelja ter učni uspešnosti [Pupils’ gender and age as factors of differences in teacher’s liking, perceived teacher’s support and academic achievement]. Horizons of Psychology, 20(3), 93–106.

Sara Tement, PhD. Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: sara.tement@um.si; Web site: http://www.ff.uni-mb.si/

Current themes of research:

Work–family conflict. Work–family enrichment. Burn-out. Individual differences.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

None.

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Košir, K., Tement, S. Teacher–student relationship and academic achievement: a cross-lagged longitudinal study on three different age groups. Eur J Psychol Educ 29, 409–428 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-013-0205-2

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