Exploring the Impacts of Racial Matching on Absenteeism and the Moderating Role of Student-Teacher Relationships, Especially for Black Students (Poster 19)

• In Event: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

"This study investigates the interplay between affective (student-teacher relationships) and race-match in educational settings and their impact on differential educational experiences for diverse subgroups. Analyzing data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLSK:2011), the study involves 16,980 participants and spans five waves of data collection.

The primary findings highlight that race-match plays a crucial role in education for Black students. The study finds that race-match decreases the likelihood of chronic absenteeism for Black Students, indicating a positive influence on attendance rates. Black students assigned to White teachers are more prone to chronic absenteeism than White students with White teachers, demonstrating an adverse racial mismatch effect. Further, teachers perceive relationships with Black students as less positive and more negative compared to White students, indicating a racial disparity in teacher-student dynamics.

The findings also reveal that positive student-teacher relationships are associated with reduced chronic absenteeism, while negative relationships correlate with increased absenteeism. This highlights the crucial role of positive student-teacher relationships in reducing chronic absenteeism, contrasting with the higher rates associated with negative relationships.

Moreover, the study suggests that relationships play a moderating role in the effects of race-match for Black students. Positive relationships have the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of racial mismatch, acting as a protective buffer for Black students throughout their educational journeys. This underscores the pivotal importance of fostering positive student-teacher relationships, particularly for traditionally marginalized student populations.

Overall, the study highlights the crucial role of affective factors, emphasizing the need to foster positive student-teacher relationships across diverse contexts and racial lines to enhance student outcomes."

Author

• Daman Chhikara, University of California - Irvine