Improving Teacher-Child Relationships Using Relationship-Focused Reflection: A Case Study.

This study evaluated LLInC (Leerkracht-Leerling Interactie Coaching in Dutch, or Teacher Student Interaction Coaching), an intervention targeted at teachers' mental representations to improve dyadic teacher-child relationship quality. Four teachers and eight children from Dutch elementary schools participated in this single case study. Teachers themselves selected two children with whom they experienced a difficult relationship.

The relational side of teachers' self-efficacy: Assimilation and contrast effects of classroom relational climate on teachers' self-efficacy.

Although much is known about the sources of teachers' self-efficacy (TSE), less attention has been paid to the social-contextual specificity of TSE and the processes influencing the relevance of TSE information sources. This study investigated both dyad-level relationships and the classroom relational climate as predictors of TSE at the student and classroom level. Additionally, we explored two competing hypotheses-assimilation and contrast-articulating how teachers use information conveyed by classroom relationship experiences as a heuristic to interpret relationship experiences with individual students as a TSE source.

Practitioner Review: Dyadic teacher-child relationships: comparing theories, empirical evidence and implications for practice.

Background: Research on dyadic teacher-child relationships has grown rapidly. However, a review of relevant theories and its implications for assessment and intervention has been lacking so far.

Methods: A selective review of theories, empirical evidence and interventions was conducted.

Using relationship-focused reflection to improve teacher-child relationships and teachers' student-specific self-efficacy.

The present study evaluated whether LLInC (Leerkracht-Leerling Interactie Coaching in Dutch, or Teacher-Student Interaction Coaching), a teacher-based coaching-intervention, yielded improvements in dyadic affective teacher-child relationships in elementary school (Grades 2-6). Based on attachment theory, LLInC aims to foster more flexible and differentiated mental representations of teachers' relationships with individual children with whom they experience relationship difficulties. Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared an intervention group of teachers (n = 46 teachers and 92 children) receiving LLInC with a control group receiving no form of intervention (n = 32 teachers and 88 children).

Teachers' emotional experiences in response to daily events with individual students varying in perceived past disruptive behavior.

Students' disruptive behavior during classroom events can elicit strong emotions in teachers and impact teachers' occupational wellbeing. This research was the first to test the proposition that teachers' emotional responses depend not solely on the specific classroom events themselves, but also on the perceived history of disruptive behavior of the student involved. Two complimentary studies examined whether teachers' perceptions of students' past disruptive behavior moderated the link between teachers' valence appraisals (i.

Student-Teacher Relationships and Students' Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors: A Cross-Lagged Study in Secondary Education.

The present study examined reciprocal influences between student-teacher relationship quality and students' externalizing and internalizing behaviors in secondary education. Our sample included 1,219 secondary school students (49.1% boys; M  = 13.

Don't forget student-teacher dependency! A Meta-analysis on associations with students' school adjustment and the moderating role of student and teacher characteristics.

A meta-analytic approach was used to examine associations between student-teacher dependency and students' school adjustment (engagement, achievement, externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior, and prosocial behavior). Furthermore, we investigated whether associations between dependency and school adjustment were moderated by student and teacher characteristics. In total, the meta-analysis included 28 studies ( = 7849 students) from preschool to upper elementary school.

Understanding cross-cultural differences in affective teacher-student relationships: A comparison between Dutch and Chinese primary school teachers and students.

The affective quality of teacher-student relationships (TSRs) has mostly been studied in Western contexts and little is known how findings generalize to Eastern contexts. Therefore, the present study examined measurement invariance, mean differences, and agreement in teachers' and students' perceptions of relationship quality between the Netherlands and China. The sample consisted of 789 primary school students (51% girls) and 35 teachers (80% female) from the Netherlands, and 587 primary school students (53% girls) and 14 teachers (93% female) from Zhejiang, China.

Teacher and child perceptions of relationship quality and ethnic minority children's behavioral adjustment in upper elementary school: A cross-lagged approach.

In this study, cross-lagged longitudinal modeling was used to examine associations between teacher-child relationship quality and children's behavioral adjustment in a sample of sixth grade ethnic minority children. In comparison to previous cross-lagged studies, children were older and cross-informant models were used. Both teachers (N = 12) and children (N = 226) reported on the relationship quality (Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency or Negative Expectations), and children's behavioral adjustment (Externalizing Problems, Internalizing Problems, and Prosocial Behavior) at the beginning and the end of the school year.

Teacher-student relationship quality from kindergarten to sixth grade and students' school adjustment: A person-centered approach.

The present study used a person-centered approach to identify teacher-student relationship trajectories from kindergarten to sixth grade in a Dutch sample (N = 1300). Teachers reported about relationships with individual students (closeness, conflict, and dependency) in kindergarten, grade 3, and grade 6, and about externalizing behaviors in kindergarten. Students were tested for verbal ability in kindergarten, and completed math and reading tests and questionnaires about task motivation and self-efficacy in sixth grade.

Similarities and dissimilarities between teachers' and students' relationship views in upper elementary school: The role of personal teacher and student attributes.

The present study aimed to advance insight into similarities and dissimilarities between teachers' and students' views of closeness and conflict in their dyadic relationship, and personal teacher and student attributes that contribute to these views. In total, 464 students (50.2% girls) and 62 teachers (67.

A Values-Affirmation Intervention Does Not Benefit Negatively Stereotyped Immigrant Students in the Netherlands.

Previous research showed that a values-affirmation intervention can help reduce the achievement gap between African American and European American students in the US. In the present study, it was examined if these results would generalize to ethnic minority students in a country outside the US, namely the Netherlands, where there is also an achievement gap between native and ethnic minority students. This type of intervention was tested in two separate studies, the first among first-year pre-vocational students (n = 361, 84% ethnic minority), and the second among sixth grade students (n = 290, 96% ethnic minority).

Inter- and intra-individual differences in teachers' self-efficacy: A multilevel factor exploration.

This study explored inter- and intra-individual differences in teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) by adapting Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy's (2001) Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) to the domain- and student-specific level. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the factor structure underlying this adapted instrument, and to test for violations of measurement invariance over clusters. Results from 841 third- to sixth-grade students and their 107 teachers supported the existence of one higher-order factor (Overall TSE) and four lower-order factors (Instructional Strategies, Behavior Management, Student Engagement, and Emotional Support) at both the between- and within-teacher level.

Can closeness, conflict, and dependency be used to characterize students' perceptions of the affective relationship with their teacher? Testing a new child measure in middle childhood.

Background: The constructs of closeness, conflict, and dependency, which are derived from attachment theory, are widely used to qualify teachers' perceptions of relationships with individual children.

Aims: Our main aim was to reveal whether similar and reliable dimensions could be identified in middle childhood with a newly developed student measure Student Perception of Affective Relationship with Teacher Scale (SPARTS). Additional validity support was sought by examining gender differences and associations with (1) teacher relationship perceptions and (2) problem and prosocial behaviours in children.

Language development in the early school years: the importance of close relationships with teachers.

This longitudinal study examined developmental links between closeness in teacher-child relationships and children's receptive language ability from the end of the preschool years into the early elementary years, while controlling for changes in peer interaction quality and child behavioral functioning. The sample included children and their parents and teachers (N = 4,983) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) at ages 4-5, 6-7, and 8-9 years (3 waves). Teachers reported on levels of closeness in relationships with individual children.

Student-teacher relationship quality and academic adjustment in upper elementary school: the role of student personality.

This study tested a theoretical model considering students' personality traits as predictors of student-teacher relationship quality (closeness, conflict, and dependency), the effects of student-teacher relationship quality on students' math and reading achievement, and the mediating role of students' motivational beliefs on the association between student-teacher relationship quality and achievement in upper elementary school. Surveys and tests were conducted among a nationally representative Dutch sample of 8545 sixth-grade students and their teachers in 395 schools. Structural equation models were used to test direct and indirect effects.

Interpersonal behaviors and complementarity in interactions between teachers and kindergartners with a variety of externalizing and internalizing behaviors.

The present study investigated whether the complementarity principle (mutual interactive behaviors are opposite on control and similar on affiliation) applies to teacher-child interactions within the kindergarten classroom. Furthermore, it was examined whether interactive behaviors and complementarity depended on children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors, interaction time, and interaction frequency. A total of 48 teachers and 179 selected kindergartners with a variety of externalizing and internalizing behaviors were observed in a small group task setting in the natural ecology of the classroom.

Are boys better off with male and girls with female teachers? A multilevel investigation of measurement invariance and gender match in teacher-student relationship quality.

Although research consistently points to poorer teacher-student relationships for boys than girls, there are no studies that take into account the effects of teacher gender and control for possible measurement non-invariance across student and teacher gender. This study addressed both issues. The sample included 649 primary school teachers (182 men) and 1493 students (685 boys).

Supporting teachers' relationships with disruptive children: the potential of relationship-focused reflection.

A relationship-focused reflection program (RFRP) was developed that targeted teachers' mental representations of relationships with specific children. Relative effectiveness was examined in a randomized comparative trial with repeated measures. Thirty-two teachers were assigned to the RFRP or the comparison intervention directly aimed at teacher behavior.

Teacher-child relationships from an attachment perspective.

This special issue aims to prompt reflection on the mutual contribution of attachment theory, on the one hand, and teacher-child relationship research, on the other, by bringing together conceptual and empirical contributions taking an attachment perspective on teacher-child relationships. In this introductory article, we contend that the teacher can be regarded as an ad hoc attachment figure with a safe haven and secure base function, although for most children the relationship with the teacher is probably not an attachment bond. Furthermore, we explain how attachment theory and research: (1) shape the way in which "high quality" teacher-child relationships are conceptualized and operationalized; (2) highlight the importance of teacher sensitivity to children's needs, as a central proximal determinant of relationship quality; (3) guide research hypotheses regarding the consequences of teacher-child relationship quality and the intervening mechanisms; and (4) inspire the development of interventions to improve teacher-child relationships.

Validating the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: testing factor structure and measurement invariance across child gender and age in a Dutch sample.

The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) is widely used to examine teachers' relationships with young students in terms of closeness, conflict, and dependency. This study aimed to verify the dimensional structure of the STRS with confirmatory factor analysis, test its measurement invariance across child gender and age, improve its measurement of the dependency construct, and extend its age range. Teachers completed a slightly adapted STRS for a Dutch sample of 2335 children aged 3 to 12.

Teacher and observer views on student-teacher relationships: convergence across kindergarten and relations with student engagement.

Most studies regarding the role of teacher-child relationships for children's early school adjustment use only teacher ratings of relationship quality. The current study examines (a) the agreement between teacher and observer ratings, (b) whether similar patterns of relations with behavioral engagement are obtained across informants, and (c) which informant matters the most in the prediction of engagement. Teacher and observer ratings of teacher-child closeness, conflict, and dependency were gathered for a sample of 148 kindergartners and their teachers at three measurement occasions.

Assessing client-caregiver relationships and the applicability of the 'student-teacher relationship scale' for people with intellectual disabilities.

Improvements in client-caregiver relationships may lead to improvements in the quality of life of clients with intellectual disabilities (ID). For this reason, interventions aimed at influencing these relationships are important. To gain insight into the nature and intention of these relationships in the ID population, suitable measurement instruments are needed.

Internalizing behaviors among kindergarten children: measuring dimensions of social withdrawal with a checklist.

Three studies examined whether different types of withdrawal among young children could be assessed with a short checklist. In Study 1, kindergarten teachers rated 487 children on a modified version of the Behavior Questionnaire for Two- to Six-Year-Olds (BQTSYO). Exploratory factor analyses yielded 2 withdrawal factors, Social Inhibition and Solitary Behavior, and a factor of Emotional Dysregulation.

Regulation of emotional security by children after entry to special and regular kindergarten classes.

In this paper early adaptation after children's entry to kindergarten is conceptualized as a process of achieving emotional security. It was hypothesized that children adapt to school by means of security seeking from the teacher and behavioral inhibition. 30 normal children from regular classes and 36 children with a variety of problems, e.