Although teacher–student relationships are assumed to in part reflect early caregiving quality, their social provisions also undergo notable normative change over the course of primary school, shifting from a secure base for social exploration to an instrumental relationship centered on achieving academic goals. This report leveraged prospective, longitudinal data from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (
Prior research has demonstrated that teacher-student relationships characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict are associated with higher levels of academic achievement among children. At the same time: (a) some research suggests that the quality of teacher-student relationships in part reflects the quality of early caregiving, and (b) the observed quality of early care by primary caregivers robustly predicts subsequent academic achievement. Given the potential for associations between teacher-student relationship quality and academic achievement to thus be confounded by the quality of early parenting experiences, the present study examined to what extent children’s experiences in early life with primary caregivers (i.e., ages 3 to 42 months) and relationships with teachers during grade school (i.e., Kindergarten to Grade 6) were uniquely associated with an objective assessment of academic achievement at age 16 years in a sample born into poverty ( N = 267; 45% female; 65% White/non-Hispanic; 41% of mothers did not complete high school). Early maternal sensitivity, though a strong predictor of later academic achievement, was not reliably associated with either teacher-reports or interview-based assessments of teacher-student relationship quality in grade school. Nonetheless, early maternal sensitivity and teacher-student relationship quality were each uniquely associated with later academic achievement, above and beyond key demographic variables. Taken together, the present results highlight that the quality of children’s relationships with adults at home and at school independently, but not interactively, predicted later academic achievement in a high-risk sample.
more » « less- PAR ID:
- 10380625
- Publisher / Repository:
- SAGE Publications
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Journal of Behavioral Development
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0165-0254
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 158-168
- Size(s):
- p. 158-168
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
N = 1,306, 52% male, 77% White/non‐Hispanic) to investigate whether the association between early caregiving and subsequent teacher–student relationship quality remains stable or diminishes in magnitude over time. Associations between early maternal sensitivity and teacher–student closeness faded from Kindergarten to Grade 6. In contrast, associations between early caregiving and teacher–student conflict endured and were partially accounted for by child externalizing problems. -
The purpose of this study was to estimate the longitudinal and reciprocal predictive relations between children’s social skills, measured by an adaptation of the frequently used Social Skills Rating Scale, and their standardized academic achievement. A large nationally representative sample of elementary school students were assessed at least annually from kindergarten through fifth grade in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 ( n = 7963). Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model of teacher-rated interpersonal and self-control skills and children’s scores on standardized reading, math, and science achievement tests. Reciprocal relations between children’s social skills and achievement were supported throughout elementary school, with achievement showing a stronger and consistent pattern of influence on children’s subsequent social skills.more » « less
-
There is a shortage of research examining Black male middle school students’ early experiences, content and career exposure, and mentoring in STEM programs at HBCUs. Using Harper’s Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, this research examined the asset-based pedagogy used to teach middle school Black boys (n=169) using survey data from a more extensive mixed-methods study of STEM programs at HBCUs. Results show that Black boys perceived the instructors and mentors incorporated a relatively high level of engagement and pedagogical practice using transactional strategies (meaningful learning, learning community, teacher student relationship quality). The more Black boys perceived meaningful connections in their lessons, the higher teacher student relationship quality and learning community ratings. The use of the three transactional instructional strategies resulted in Black boys' perceived use of critical thinking in the STEM learning context. As a result of participating in the STEM programs at HBCUs, Black boys significantly increased in STEM-based academic efficacy, specifically in technology. Implications for teachers, teacher educators, and program mentors and instructors in STEM spaces for Black boys are discussed.more » « less
-
We investigated whether and to what extent deficits in executive functions (EF) increase kindergarten children’s risk for repeated academic difficulties across elementary school. We did so by using growth mixture modeling to analyze the first- through third-grade achievement growth trajectories in mathematics, reading, and science of a large (N = 11,010) sample of children participating in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 2011 (ECLS-K: 2011). The modeling yielded four growth trajectory classes in mathematics, reading, and science. We observed an at-risk trajectory class in each academic domain using a standardized scale. Children in the at-risk class initially averaged very low levels of achievement (i.e., about two standard deviations below the mean) in first grade. Their trajectories remained very low or declined further by third grade. Trajectories for other classes were also generally flat but started and remained at higher levels of standardized achievement. Deficits in EF, particularly in working memory, increased kindergarten children’s risk of experiencing repeated mathematics, reading, and science difficulties across elementary school. These predictive relations replicated across three academic domains following statistical control for domain-specific and -general autoregressors as well as socio-demographic characteristics.more » « less
-
This study investigated if student placement in a primary grade 1-3 classroom with a teacher who had been trained in a U.S. science Framework-aligned (NRC, 2012) professional development science approach impacted student science achievement as measured in 5th grade. Students in the treatment group also received take-home science materials and treatment families were invited to participate in community-based science events. A two-level, random-slope mixed regression model was used to assess the effect of the treatment on later student achievement as measured by performance on the Science Subtest of the Ohio Achievement Assessment. This study found that students from the treatment group scored significantly higher on 5th grade science tests as compared to their peers. Overall, this study suggests that providing Frameworkaligned science instruction, coupled with parent support, during early years improves science skills in later elementary grades.more » « less