Student–Teacher Relationships

                                                                    Student–Teacher Relationships
BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT
The Importance of Student–Teacher
Relationships
A sizable literature provides evidence that strong and supportive relationships between teachers and students are fundamental to the healthy development of all students in schools (e.g.,
see Birch & Ladd, 1998; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Pianta,
1999). Positive student–teacher relationships serve as a
resource for students at risk of school failure, whereas conflict
or disconnection between students and adults may compound
that risk (Ladd & Burgess, 2001). Although the nature of these
relationships changes as students mature, the need for connection between students and adults in the school setting remains
strong from preschool to 12th grade (Crosnoe, Johnson, &
Elder, 2004). Furthermore, even as schools place increasing
attention on accountability and standardized testing, the social
quality of student-teacher relationships contributes to both
academic and social–emotional development (e.g., Gregory &
Weinstein, 2004; Hamre & Pianta, 2001). As such, student–
teacher relationships provide a unique entry point for educators and others working to improve the social and learning
environments of schools and classrooms. These relationships
may be a direct focus of intervention or may be viewed as one
important feature of successful implementation of many of the
other interventions described in this volume.
As children enter formal school settings, either in preschool or kindergarten, relationships with teachers provide the
foundation for successful adaptation to the social and academic environment. From the first day of school, young children must rely on teachers to provide them with the
understanding and support that will allow them to get the
most out of their daily interactions in the classroom. Children
who form close relationships with teachers enjoy school more
and get along better with peers. Positive relationships with
teachers can also serve as a secure base for young children; they
are better able to play and work on their own because they
know that if things get difficult or if they are upset, they can
count on their teacher to recognize and respond to these
problems.
Relationships with teachers may be particularly important
for children who display early academic or behavior problems.
In one study examining children at academic risk, a group of
children were designated as at risk for referral for special education or retention on the basis of low kindergarten screening
scores. Those who ultimately did get retained or referred
between kindergarten and second grade were compared with
those who, despite being high risk, were promoted or not
referred (Pianta, Steinberg, & Rollins, 1995). The children
who, despite predictions of retention or referral, were ultimately promoted or not referred had far more positive relationships with their teachers than their high-risk peers who
were retained or referred. Similarly, highly aggressive thirdand fourth-graders who are able to form supportive relationships with teachers are more likely than other aggressive
students to be well liked by peers (Hughes, Cavell, & Willson,
2001). Positive relationships with teachers may even help those
behaviorally at-risk students learn more adaptive behavior, as
evidenced in one recent study among a group of aggressive
African American and Hispanic students in which supportive
student–teacher relationships were associated with declines in
aggressive behavior between second and third grade (Meehan,
Hughes, & Cavell, 2003).
The need for positive relationships with teachers does not
diminish as children mature. Support in teacher–student relationships may be particularly salient at transition points, such
as the transition from elementary to middle school (Wentzel,
1998). Middle school teachers who convey emotional warmth
and acceptance as well as make themselves available regularly
for personal communication with students foster the positive
relational processes characteristic of support. These supportive
relationships help maintain students’ interests in academic and
social pursuits, which in turn lead to better grades and more
positive peer relationships. Although teachers are not the only
source of support for middle school students, the support students receive from their parents, peers, and teachers seemed to
have additive, thus fairly independent, effects. Thus, teacher