Student-Teacher Relationship Quality and School Belonging Two Years Later

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Restorative and Peaceful Practices for Belonging and Relationship Building With Racially and Linguistically Diverse Students (Table 11)

Abstract

School belonging is a critical component of well-being that contributes to students’ mental health and academic functioning. Unfortunately, school belonging is declining worldwide. Research has found that student-teacher relationships (STR) can influence school belonging. This study investigates whether STR can explain a students’ sense of school belonging two years later using the data set ECLS-K:2011. Hierarchical regression is used to determine the influence of student and school characteristics on school belonging. Conflict in STR, externalizing behaviors, and internalizing behaviors were found to have a significantly negative effect on school belonging. SES partially moderated the relationship between STR conflict and school belonging. This study can be used to support schools and teachers as they strive to cultivate school belonging.

Author

• Courtney Mary Allred, Claremont Graduate University