Gender Differences in Teacher-Student Relationships and School Engagement

• In Event: Classroom Management: Cross-Career Perceptions

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in the associations among teacher-student relationships and three types of school engagement among elementary students. For both boys and girls, negative teacher-student relationships (i.e., Conflict) imposed a greater effect on school engagement than did positive teacher-student relationship (i.e., Closeness). However, several salient gender discrepancies were found. Specifically, Conflict had a stronger effect on boys’ behavioral engagement than it did for girls’ behavioral engagement while Conflict more greatly affected girls’ emotional engagement than it did boys’ emotional engagement. Interestingly, girls’ cognitive engagement was not affected by their teacher-student relationship, while boys’ cognitive engagement was affected by both Closeness and Conflict. Implications for classroom management were discussed.

Author

• Donghyun Kang, Tennessee State University