Understanding Teacher-Student Relationships and Teachers' Psychological Adjustment as Multifaceted and Co-Developing Classroom Processes

This dissertation includes three independent studies, which aim to understand teacher-student relationships and teachers’ psychological adjustment as multifaceted and co-developing classroom processes. Study 1 used multilevel modeling to investigate individual- and classroom-level correlates of within year change in elementary students’ perceptions of positive interactions with their teacher. Study 2 examined teacher-reported relational quality with students associated with change in teachers’ personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion. Study 3 focused solely on teachers’ psychological adjustment by investigating the bidirectional associations among components of elementary school teachers’ burnout (personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion) and their psychological distress across an academic year. Taken together, these studies extend knowledge on how teacher-student relationships and teachers’ psychological adjustment co-develop to support the healthy functioning and success of both teachers and students.