Do children's adjustment problems contribute to teacher–child relationship quality? Support for a child-driven model

Abstract

This study examined three models testing directional associations between children's adjustment problems (internalizing and externalizing problems) and teacher–child relationship quality (closeness, conflict, and dependency) over one school term. The relationship-driven model tested the hypothesis that teacher–child relationship quality contributes to prospective levels of adjustment problems. The child-driven model tested the hypothesis that children's adjustment problems contribute to prospective relationship quality. The transactional model tested the hypothesis that adjustment problems and relationship quality are reciprocally related over time. These models were tested with a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse children in kindergarten to grade 3 who were assessed at three time points over one school term (winter, early spring, and late spring). Overall, the child-driven model best explained the directional associations between adjustment problems and conflictual and dependent teacher–child relationships. When children showed higher levels of externalizing problems, they subsequently experienced more conflict in their relationships with their teachers. When children showed more internalizing problems they experienced more prospective dependency in their relationships with their teachers. Adjustment problems and teacher–child closeness were modestly related within time but not across time.