The combined effects of teacher child and peer relationships on children's social emotional adjustment.
Teachers and peers represent two important dimensions of the classroom social ecology that have important implications for children's social emotional adjustment. This study examined the combined effects of teacher child relationships (TCR) and peer relationships for 6 7year old children on their social emotional adjustment at 8 9years. The sample was comprised of children and their teachers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=2857) Teachers reported on TCR, peer relationships, and children's emotional well being, and children provided self reported self concept and school liking during a face to face interview. The analytic approach extends previous research by modeling TCR and peer relationships in combination, using cluster analysis to understand the nature of 6 7year old children's social relationships in the classroom. Five distinct profiles of children were identified: adaptive, teacher oriented, teacher child conflict prominent, non adaptive, and invisible. The adaptive profile had the best outcomes on all three aspects of social emotional adjustment at age 8 9; the non adaptive profile had the poorest outcomes, and the invisible group was mid range. The teacher oriented and teacher child conflict prominent groups had mixed outcomes for social emotional adjustment. Implications for school psychologists and teachers are discussed.
Journal of school psychology