Conflict, Closeness, and Academic Skills: A Longitudinal Examination of the Teacher–Student Relationship

Abstract

The longitudinal relations between teacher–student relationship quality (TSRQ) and student achievement were examined to determine the directional associations between the quality of teacher-rated closeness and conflict with students, and measured math and reading achievement in a large, multisite sample of U.S. youth at first, third, and fifth grade. A longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis model of panel data was employed. After testing longitudinal factorial invariance across time, we tested heterogeneity in the factor variances and differences in the latent means. Math and reading achievement had longitudinal reciprocal relations. Math achievement explained small differences in subsequent teacher-rated closeness after controlling for previous levels of math achievement and teacher-rated closeness. Teacher-rated conflict served as a small but significant predictor of subsequent math achievement across measured time points but previous teacher-rated closeness did not explain subsequent reading or math achievement at any time point. Teacher-rated conflict was relatively stable across grades, whereas teacher-rated closeness varied from first to third grade. Reading and math achievement were highly stable predictors of future achievement. The findings suggested that in a lower-risk sample, measures of TSRQ and achievement may serve as predictors or outcomes and directionality of effects should not be assumed in advance.

Keywords:

• Longitudinal models
• Teacher–student relationships
• Longitudinal invariance
• Panel models
• Closeness and Conflict

Notes

1 While TSRQ is also frequently expressed as STRQ in published work, all relational data collected were from teachers. Consequently, the measured construct is represented as TSRQ for the remainder of this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Benjamin A. Mason

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENTS Benjamin A. Mason, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor at Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas. He conducts multimethod research on academic and behavioral interventions to support middle- and high-school students with and at-risk of disabilities.

Daniel B. Hajovsky

Daniel B. Hajovsky, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the School Psychology Program at the University of South Dakota. He conducts research employing latent variable modeling and longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis in the study of human cognitive abilities, academic achievement, social dyadic influences, and psychoeducational assessment.

Luke A. McCune

Luke McCune, MA, is a Data Scientist for Commerce Bank. He conducts applied, quantitative research in partnership with experts from many scientific disciplines, from developmental language and literacy and school psychology to organizational commitment and fraud monitoring.

Joshua J. Turek

Josh Turek, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His research interests include assessment of disruptive behaviors and ADHD, the clinical utility of behavior rating scales commonly used in practice, and the interaction between child–adult relationships and behavior.