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A Non-bipartite Propensity Score Analysis of the Effects of Teacher-Student Relationships on Adolescent Problem and Prosocial Behavior.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Obsuth, Ingrid 
Murray, Aja Louise 
Malti, Tina 
Sulger, Philippe 
Ribeaud, Denis 

Abstract

Previous research suggests a link between the quality of teacher-student relationships and the students' behavioral outcomes; however, the observational nature of past studies makes it difficult to attribute a causal role to the quality of these relationships. In the current study, therefore, we used a propensity score analysis approach to evaluate whether students who were matched on their propensity to experience a given level of relationship quality but differed on their actual relationship quality diverged on their concurrent and subsequent problem and prosocial behavior. Student/self, teacher, and parent- (only waves 1-3) reported data from 8 waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths (z-proso), a longitudinal study of Swiss youth among a culturally diverse sample of 7- to 15-year-olds were utilized. The initial sample included 1483 (49.4 % female) students for whom information relevant for this study was available. The sample represented families from around 80 different countries, from across all the continents; with approximately 42 % of the female primary caregivers having been born in Switzerland. Following successful matching, we found that students who reported better relationships with their teachers and whose teachers reported better relationships with them evidenced fewer problem behaviors concurrently and up to 4 years later. There was also evidence for an analogous effect in predicting prosocial behavior. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to prevention and intervention practices.

Description

Keywords

Longitudinal design, Non-bipartite matching, Problem behavior, Prosocial behavior, Teacher–student relationship, Achievement, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Child, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Parents, Propensity Score, School Teachers, Social Behavior, Students, Switzerland

Journal Title

J Youth Adolesc

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0047-2891
1573-6601

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
This study was funded by the Jacobs Foundation (Grant 2010-888), the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grants 100013_116829 & 100014_132124) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (Grant 8.000665). Philippe Sulger received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant PBZHP1- 141494).