Measuring Effective Teacher-Student Interactions From a Student Perspective: A Multi-Level Analysis
Abstract
This study applies multi-level analysis to student reports of effective teacher-student interactions in 50 upper elementary school classrooms (N = 594 fourth- and fifth-grade students). Observational studies suggest that teacher-student interactions fall into three domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. Results of multi-level confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a three-factor model fits between- and within-classroom variability in students’ reports reasonably well. Multi-level regressions provide some evidence of criterion validity, with student reports at the classroom level related to parallel observations. Both classroom- and student-level student report data were associated with students’ reading proficiency and disciplinary referrals. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research on student reports of classroom interactions and their practical utility in teacher evaluation and feedback systems.
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Biographies
Jason T. Downer is the director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia and an associate professor in the Curry School of Education’s Clinical and School Psychology program. His research interests lie in understanding contextual and relational contributors to children’s achievement and social-emotional learning.
Megan Stuhlman is a research scientist at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. Her research interests involve understanding teacher-student relationships and interactions in early grades and understanding teacher professional development models that promote effective teaching.
Jonathan Schweig is an associate social scientist at RAND Corporation. His research interests include educational measurement and quantitative methods applied to educational assessment systems and program evaluation.
José Felipe Martínez is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research interests include measurement and statistical methods for developing of indicators of classroom and school environments, educational assessment, and program evaluation.
Erik Ruzek is a research scientist at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. He studies the effects of classroom environments on middle and high school students’ motivation, engagement, and academic achievement.
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