Teacher-Student Relationship: The Influence of Teacher Interpersonal Behaviours and Perceived Beliefs about Teachers on the School Adjustment of Low Achieving Students in Asian Middle Schools

This study investigated aspects of the teacher-student relationship as they relate to school adjustment with 523 Grade 8 students in Singapore. The first question examined what configurations of teacher-student support could be identified with low-achieving students. Cluster analysis identified two sub-groups on the basis of specific qualities of the teacher-student relationship and patterns of teacher interpersonal behaviours in the classroom deemed important for improving the psychosocial aspects of their school experience. The second question examined the contribution of these teacher-student relationship variables in predicting school adjustment for each cluster. Finally, post hoc analyses showed students' attitude toward teachers was significant in mediating between teacher-student relational quality and school liking. Implications from the study were discussed.