Teacher and child perceptions of relationship quality and ethnic minority children's behavioral adjustment in upper elementary school: A cross-lagged approach

In this study, cross-lagged longitudinal modeling was used to examine associations between teacher-child relationship quality and children's behavioral adjustment in a sample of sixth grade ethnic minority children. In comparison to previous cross-lagged studies, children were older and cross-informant models were used. Both teachers (N = 12) and children (N = 226) reported on the relationship quality (Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency or Negative Expectations), and children's behavioral adjustment (Externalizing Problems, Internalizing Problems, and Prosocial Behavior) at the beginning and the end of the school year. Children's externalizing behavior at the beginning of the school year was consistently and positively associated with conflict at the end of the school year. Interestingly, dependency at time 1 was associated with children's behavioral adjustment at time 2, whereas for closeness and conflict associations were the other way around (i.e., children's behavior at time 1 was associated with teacher-child closeness and conflict at time 2). Taken together, our results seem to indicate that bidirectional associations between teacher-child relationships and behavioral adjustment apply to older, ethnic minority children as well.