Longitudinal associations of student–teacher relationships and behavioural and emotional strengths on academic achievement

Erkko T. Sointu, Hannu Savolainen, Kristiina Lappalainen, Matthew C. Lambert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Positive student–teacher relationships are related to students’ academic achievement and behavioural and emotional adjustment. How a student’s behavioural and emotional strengths are associated with these relationships and how the relationships influence students’ academic performance remains unknown. We examined this framework using a cross-lagged panel model with a group of Finnish students and their parents from Grade 5 to Grade 7. The results revealed that the parents rated behavioural and emotional strengths are stable over a 1-year (r =.78) and 2-year (r =.71) period and that students’ perceptions of student–teacher relationships demonstrated greater change over time (r’s =.54,.35). Behavioural and emotional strengths demonstrated a positive relationship with student–teacher relationships as well as academic achievement (β =.39, p <.01). Strengths were also indirectly associated with academic achievement via student–teacher relationships. Study limitations, implications and future research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)457-467
Number of pages11
JournalEducational Psychology
Volume37
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 21 2017

Keywords

  • Behavioural and emotional strengths
  • academic achievement
  • cross-lagged model
  • longitudinal modelling
  • student–teacher relationships

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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