Developmental Changes in Teacher-Student Relationship and Behavioral Engagement in Middle Childhood: Gender Differences

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Division E Poster Session: Contemporary Perspectives in Human Development (San Diego)

Abstract

Declining trends in the trajectories of both quality of teacher-student relationships and behavioral engagement have been reported in the literature. Using a large-scale dataset with a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM), the current study further examines the developmental trajectories of and reciprocal associations between teacher-student relationships and behavioral engagement by focusing on gender differences across early elementary school years (K – 3rd Grade). Several noticeable gender effects were identified, particularly, at the within-person level: (1) A negative reciprocal association between Conflict and behavioral engagement was identified among only boys over time. Contrarily, girls’ higher behavioral engagement than usual was negatively linked to their subsequent year’s Closeness while there was no reciprocal association between boys’ Closeness and behavioral engagement over time.

Authors

• Donghyun Kang, Winona State University

• Qinxin Shi, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Yajun Jia, Columbia University

• Sungyoon Lee, Middle Tennessee State University