Attachment in the student-teacher relationship as a factor of school achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out how are the quality of student-teacher interaction and teachers' practices related with school achievement during the primary education. A sample of 366 students attending 4th and 7th grades from Belgrade primary schools participated in the study. We developed a questionnaire measuring seven dimensions of student-teacher attachment (Proximity seeking, Separation protest, Particularity, Safe haven, Secure base, Open communication, and Closeness), and six dimensions of teacher practices (Strict, Leadership, Instructional support, Helping/friendly, Conflict, and Dissatisfaction). The parallel versions of questionnaire, for class teacher in 4th grade, and Math teacher in 7th grade were developed. Based on exploratory factor analysis these dimensions were reduced on fewer number of factors. As educational outcomes, we measured students attitude towards school and learning and school marks. Factors Attachment to teacher, Instructional support, Positive emotional relationship with students, students' Positive attitudes towards school and learning and school marks were taken for structural equation modeling, for each grade separately. Results show that Attachment to teacher affects students Attitudes towards school and learning in both grades and school marks just in 4th grade. In 4th grade, quality of Instructional support and teachers' Positive relationship with students have effect on students' Attachment and directly, on school marks and students' Attitudes towards school and learning, respectively. In 7th grade, quality of teachers' Instructional support has effect on Math marks, while teachers' Positive emotional relation with students affects students' Attachment and Math marks. Results are discussed in the light of the attachment to teacher and the quality of student-teacher socio-emotional interaction as factors that foster teaching and learning.