How Many Teachers Does It Take to Support a Student? Examining Teacher Support and Student Well-Being

• In Event: Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Threats to Student Well-Being: Resources and Resilience

Abstract

Although research has demonstrated the importance of supportive teacher-student relationships to students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes, few studies have explored the nature and dosage of effective student support. Hierarchical linear modeling with a sample of 5,557 students from 14 high-performing high schools reveals that students who believe more of their teachers care for them and students who have an adult confidant within the school fare significantly better in terms of academic anxiety, internalizing symptoms, and physical problems related to stress. Results show that perceiving support from more teachers is a stronger protective factor for students in these schools than having a close relationship with a single adult in the school. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Authors

• Denise C. Pope, Stanford University

• Jerusha Osberg Conner, Villanova University

• Sarah B. Miles, Stanford University