The Association between Externalizing Behavior Problems, Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, and Academic Performance in Young Urban Learners

Abstract

The present study examined the relation between teacher ratings of student social functioning and academic performance and teacher-student relationship quality. Data were collected from 230 students and 20 teachers in two high-poverty, low-performing schools in a large urban school district in the Midwest. Students were 93% African American. Teachers were 47.4% African American. Results indicated that the level of externalizing and prosocial behaviors demonstrated by students in kindergarten through third grade significantly influenced the student-teacher relationship quality as measured by the Student-Teacher Relationship Survey-short form. Teacher perceptions of students’ externalizing and prosocial behaviors were influenced, in part, by teacher race. Teacher-student relationship quality had a clinically significant effect on teacher academic ratings of children. Although not conclusive, results seem to indicate a link between externalizing behavior problems and poor student-teacher relationship ratings. Poor student-teacher relationship quality, in turn, is associated with lower academic ratings. Further investigation using larger sample sizes that allow more sophisticated analyses are needed.