CONNECTIONS in CLASS (CiC): Relationships with teachers and peers and their effects on adolescents' mental health

Theorizing and research have emphasized the importance of positive teacher-student and peer relationships for adolescents’ mental health. Yet, relationships with teachers and peers have been studied largely independently so far and research about their relative and joint contribution to adolescent mental health is scarce. This project aims to extend and deepen our knowledge by addressing two main objectives: (1) to investigate the unique and joint effects of different dimensions of teacher-student relationships and peer relationships on different adolescent mental health outcomes, i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems, prosocial behavior and self-esteem. (2) to unravel the interplay among teacher-student relationships and peer relationships in adolescence. The project comprises two large-scaled, three wave longitudinal studies in secondary schools and an experimental study in pre-service teacher training for secondary education.

Keywords:Teacher-student relationships, Peer relationships, Student mental health, Social-emotional development, Adolescence

Disciplines:Social and emotional development, Educational and school psychology