Students’ self-regulation and achievement in basic reading and math skills: the role of student–teacher relationships in middle childhood

Marjolein Zee*, Elise de Bree

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In this study, we explored both direct and indirect contributions of students’ perceptions of the student–teacher relationship quality (i.e., closeness and conflict) to domains of self-regulation (i.e., task-orientation and metacognition) and basic reading and math skills (i.e., timed word reading and math performance) in middle childhood. Participants were 370 third-to-fifth graders from different regular elementary classrooms across the Netherlands. Using structural equation modelling, evidence was found for positive direct associations between student-perceived closeness and both domains of self-regulation, and a negative direct association between student-perceived conflict and task-orientation. However, indirect associations of closeness and conflict with students’ achievement in basic math and reading skills, through task-orientation and metacognition, could not be established. These results suggest that students’ perceptions of the relationship quality, and closeness in particular, may be especially important for their ability to regulate motivational and cognitive aspects of their own learning.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)265-280
Number of pages16
JournalEuropean Journal of Developmental Psychology
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 May 2017

Keywords

  • basic reading and math skills
  • middle childhood
  • self-regulation
  • Student–teacher relationships

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