The Longitudinal Association between Student Externalizing Behaviors, Teacher-Student Relationship, and Classroom Engagement

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Positive and sustained engagement in classroom is essential for quality learning (Prince, 2004). Previous studies have shown that personal characteristics and classroom environment features both play important roles in predicting students’ levels of classroom engagement (Hughes et al., 2008). Specifically, research has demonstrated that students with fewer externalizing problems are able to engage more in class activities (Olivier et al., 2020). Additionally, a positive teacher-student relationship also fosters classroom engagement (Baker et al., 2008). Although there have been multiple studies that investigated how each of these personal and environmental factors is associated with classroom engagement), few have examined the joint effects of student externalizing behaviors and teacher-student relationship in the same model. Given that students with higher externalizing problems may be more likely to elicit conflict and other negative responses from their teachers (Lei et al., 2016), externalizing behaviors may be doubly debilitating, exerting both direct and indirect (through undermining teacher-student relationship) effects on classroom engagement. Similarly, as a poor teacher-student relationship may exacerbate students’ externalizing symptoms (Lei et al., 2016), poor teacher-student relationship may also exert both direct and indirect effects on classroom engagement. The aim of the proposed study is to explore the longitudinal direct and indirect effects of teacher-student relationships as well as externalizing problems on student classroom engagement using a multi-informant approach. We hypothesize that 1) teacher-student relationship will directly positively predict subsequent student classroom engagement; 2) the predictive effect of teacher-student relationship on subsequent student classroom engagement will be partially mediated through student externalizing problems; 3) externalizing problems will negatively predict subsequent student classroom engagement; and 4) the predictive effect of student externalizing behaviors on student classroom engagement will be partially mediated by teacher-student relationship.
We will use data from the Impact of Grade Retention: A Developmental Prospective, which is a 14-year longitudinal study. Student data from 3rd through 5th grade (when data on all three main study constructs are available) will be included in the analysis. The construct of the teacher-student relationship will be developed from student reports using the Network of Relationships Inventory (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985) and teacher reports using the Teacher Student Relationship Inventory (Hughes et al., 2005). The externalizing behavior construct will be developed using parent and teacher reports of the conduct problems and hyperactivity subscales from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 2001). Using an adapted version of the Wellborn Questionnaire, teachers provided reports on student’s behavioral engagement in the classroom. Control variables will include students’ sex and their academic achievement (measured using Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement; Woodcock et al., 2001).
Measurement invariance will be tested to make sure that the latent factors of the teacher-student relationship and externalizing behaviors measure the same constructs across the three time points. After establishing measurement invariance, a cross-lagged panel model will be used to investigate the longitudinal direct and indirect (mediated by externalizing behaviors) associations between teacher-student relationship behavioral engagement, as well as the longitudinal direct and indirect (mediated by teacher-student relationship) associations between externalizing behaviors behavioral engagement (Fig 1).

Authors

• Leslie Monique Hasty, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Michaela Quintero, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tianyu Li, Austin Peay State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Zhe Wang, Texas A&M University - College Station
  Non-Presenting Author