The Importance of Stable Classrooms: Teacher Support and Its Impact on Students' Academic Development

• In Event: Psychosocial Development During Adolescence: Applications of Rigorous Multilevel and Longitudinal Methods

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the longitudinal associations between students’ perceived teacher support and students’ change in their negative affect, self-efficacy, and achievement in 7th grade. Furthermore, we investigated whether these associations differed for students with the same versus different teachers across the academic year and by students’ gender. Using data from 3,696 students (48.1% males, 67.6% Hispanic), student-perceived emotional and cognitive support led to lower negative affect and, in turn, to an increase in self-efficacy and mathematics achievement. For students with the same teacher, perceived teacher support further fostered an increase in students’ mathematics achievement through lower negative affect within the academic year. Moderating effects of students’ gender were found.

Authors

• Charlott Rubach, University of California - Irvine

• Anna-Lena Dicke, University of California, Irvine

• Nayssan Safavian, University of California - Irvine

• Jacquelynne S. Eccles, University of California - Irvine

• Stuart A. Karabenick, University of Michigan