A Non-bipartite Propensity Score Analysis of the Effects of Teacher-student Relationships on Adolescent Problem and Prosocial Behavior
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Publication Date
2016-07-05Journal Title
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
ISSN
0047-2891
Publisher
Springer
Language
English
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
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Obsuth, I., Murray, A., Malti, T., Sulger, P., Ribeaud, D., & Eisner, M. (2016). A Non-bipartite Propensity Score Analysis of the Effects of Teacher-student Relationships on Adolescent Problem and Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0534-y
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.
Keywords
teacher–student relationship, problem behavior, prosocial behavior, longitudinal design, non-bipartite matching
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).
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0534-y
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/256927
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