Investigating Teacher-Child Relationships as Pathways for Learning in Elementary School Classroom

Researchers have increasingly focused on teacher-child relationships (TCRs) as malleable features within classrooms that can facilitate vulnerable children's learning, especially during the early elementary school years. TCRs are important social resources for children because they enable children to develop key competencies (e.g., academic) that are necessary for learning in classroom environments. This three-article dissertation examined different aspects of TCRs, child outcomes (literacy and behaviors), and classroom quality.;The first article synthesized empirical research on TCRs for elementary school students' literacy achievement. Themes across the review focused on overall associations between TCRs and literacy achievement and also focused on how teacher- and child-level characteristics were related to those associations. Additionally, findings of a meta-analysis using a subset of the reviewed articles suggested significant, albeit small, effects of close/support TCRs on literacy achievement; findings also suggested non-significant effects of conflictual TCRs on literacy achievement. The synthesis concluded with research-based recommendations for practitioners and researchers.;The second article used an attachment theory framework to understand associations between TCRs and children's literacy achievement and behavioral outcomes. Additionally, I examined whether or not there were gender and struggling reader differences in the associations between the quality of TCRs and children's literacy achievement and/or behavioral difficulties. After controlling for child- and teacher-level characteristics, results of multi-level model analyses indicated that conflictual TCRs were significantly related to children's literacy achievement and behavioral outcomes. I did not find significant moderation effects for struggling reader status or gender TCRs and children's literacy achievement or behavioral outcomes.;The third article used an ecological systems theory framework to examine how classroom quality was related TCRs. In addition, I examined whether or not there were gender and struggling reader differences in the associations between classroom quality and TCRs. After controlling for child- and teacher-level characteristics, results of multi-level model analyses indicated that classroom quality was associated with less conflictual TCRs. No significant associations were found between classroom quality and close TCRs. Gender significantly moderated the associations between classroom quality and conflictual TCRs, suggesting that within higher quality classrooms, teachers were less likely to perceive conflictual relationships with boys.