Student and teacher perceptions on student-teacher relationship quality: A middle school perspective

Abstract

This study investigated 336 fifth- and sixth-grade middle school students' relationships with their ten mathematics teachers. Authors used a five-step hierarchical multiple linear regression to examine teacher and student factors related to students' quality of relationships with their teachers. Analyses revealed that teachers' student relationship perceptions positively predicted their students' perceptions and the students' reports of their mathematics interest and self-efficacy positively predicted teacher relationships. Teachers' prosocial classroom behavior and social-emotional support behaviors were the strongest predictors of students' views of high quality relationships with their teachers; both prosocial classroom behaviors and social-emotional support are malleable, and authors discuss implications for how teachers' behaviors shape students' positive views of their student-teacher relationships.