Poster #71 - Associations Between Child and Teacher Perceptions of Relationship Quality and Child Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

The quality of the relationship between children and their classroom teachers during early and middle childhood has significant implications for children’s academic and social-emotional development (Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Maldonado-Carreño & Votruba-Drzal, 2011; Spilt et al., 2012). High quality teacher-child relationships may be particularly beneficial for children with high internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Baker, 2006; Berry & O’Connor, 2010; Hughes, Cavell, & Jackson, 1999; Meehan, Hughes, & Cavell, 2003). Research to date on teacher-child relationships has generally focused less on social-emotional outcomes than academic outcomes, examined outcomes during early childhood and early elementary school rather than the upper elementary years, and examined relationship quality mainly through teachers’ perceptions rather than children’s perceptions (Hughes & Kwok, 2007; Zhang & Nurmi, 2012). This study examines how children’s and teachers’ perceptions of their relationship mid-academic year predicts children’s end-of-year academic and behavioral outcomes, controlling for teacher and classroom demographic characteristics, observed classroom interaction quality, and intervention status.

Data for this paper come from a school-level randomized trial of an integrated social-emotional learning and literacy intervention, supported by an intensive teacher-coaching model, involving 60 New York City (NYC) public elementary schools. Participants included a diverse sample of teachers (n = 331) and children (n =5,112) in third and fourth grades. Students were 52% female, were 8.79 years old on average, and were of diverse race/ethnic backgrounds (66% Hispanic, 22% Black, 6% White, and 6% Other). Teachers were 91% female, with an average of 11 years of experience (SD= 7.56), and were also of diverse race/ethnic backgrounds (39% White, 28% Hispanic, 22% Black, and 12% Other). Teachers and children completed fall/winter (Time 1) and spring (Time 2) assessments during one school year. Children reported on closeness with their teacher (α= 77; Downer et al., 2015) and their own aggressive behaviors (α= 83; Orpinas & Frankowski, 2001). Teachers reported on closeness with students (α= .89; Pianta, 2001), child aggressive behavior (α= 95; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998), and child social competence (α= 97; CPPRG, 1999) (see Table 1). Teachers self-reported demographics, whereas child demographics, state ELA and Math test scores, and school attendance were provided by NYC Department of Education.

Preliminary mixed model analyses in SPSS (Version 25) accounting for the nesting of children within teachers revealed that both teacher and child relationship closeness at the beginning of the year significantly predicted end-of-year child-reported aggression (β= -.07, p < .001 and β= -.09, p < .001, respectively), teacher-reported aggression (β= -.14, p < .001 and β= -.04, p < .001, respectively), and teacher-reported social competence (β= .32, p < .001 and β= .08, p < .001, respectively) (see Table 2). Hierarchical linear modeling will be used to examine the influence of teacher and child perceptions of relationship quality on child ELA, Math and school attendance outcomes, and child academic and teacher-reported behavioral risk will be examined as a moderator of the relationship between child and teacher perceptions of relationship quality and child outcomes.

Authors

• Madeline Barry, Fordham University
  Presenting Author

• Joshua L. Brown, Fordham University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Essie Sutton, Fordham University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy E. Lowenstein, Fordham University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jason Downer, University of Virginia - CASTL
  Non-Presenting Author