Poster #44 - Developmental Relationships With Teachers, Parents, and Friends: Differential Impacts on Academic Experience and Success

• In Event: 64.090 - MTCC Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: 64.090-8 - Role of Teachers, Learning Environments, Parents, and Peers in Motivational Processes

Abstract

In a sample of 623 middle school and 672 high school students, we ran a multi-group SEM to find that the quality of students’ relationships with teachers, parents, and peers predicts their academic motivation and perceptions of school climate. Student-teacher relationships are the strongest predictor of each of our outcomes. Relationships with parents and friends have little impact on students’ GPA. While there was no direct effect between teacher-student relationships on GPA, there was a strong total effect. We observed similar patterns between middle and high school students. Students’ perceived financial strain has a mixed relationship to our study outcomes.

Authors

• Martin Van Boekel, University of Minnesota

• Chen-Yu Wu

• Peter C. Scales

• Jenna Sethi

• Rachel Chamberlain, Search Institute

• Amy K. Syvertsen

• Eugene Roehlkepartain, Search Institute

• Kent Pekel