title: Relationship influences on teachers' perceptions of academic competence in academically at-risk minority and majority first grade students.
abstract: This study examined the associations among child demographic variables, teacher perceptions of parent-teacher and student-teacher relationship quality, and teacher perceptions of children's academic abilities in an ethnically diverse sample of 607 academically at-risk first grade children. Relative to relationships with African American children and parents, teachers rated their relationships with White and Hispanic children and parents more positively. Measures of relationship quality added unique variance to teachers' perceptions of children's abilities, controlling for parent educational level and measured ability. Relationship variables fully mediated the association between African American status and teachers' perceptions of children's abilities. Implications of the findings for teacher in-service and professional development and for parent involvement programs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840-4225, United States.
authors.forename: Jan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Katie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.forename: Duan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
references.citation: Child Dev. 2003 Jul-Aug;74(4):1145-57
references.pmid: 12938710
references.citation: Child Dev. 2001 Mar-Apr;72(2):625-38
references.pmid: 11333089
references.citation: Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1998 Jan;68(1):117-25
references.pmid: 9494648
references.citation: Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2005;9(2):131-55
references.pmid: 15869379
references.citation: Child Dev. 2001 Sep-Oct;72(5):1554-78
references.pmid: 11699687
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 1998 Sep;34(5):934-46
references.pmid: 9779740
references.citation: Monogr Soc Res Child Dev. 1988;53(2):1-157
references.pmid: 3226426
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997 Apr;72(4):791-809
references.pmid: 9108695
references.citation: J Clin Child Psychol. 1999 Jun;28(2):173-84
references.pmid: 10353077
references.citation: Child Dev. 1999 Nov-Dec;70(6):1373-400
references.pmid: 10621962
references.citation: Am Psychol. 2004 Feb-Mar;59(2):77-92
references.pmid: 14992634
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Mar;39(2):349-71
references.pmid: 12661890
references.citation: Child Dev. 1987 Aug;58(4):1101-13
references.pmid: 3608659
references.citation: Child Dev. 1989 Aug;60(4):981-92
references.pmid: 2758891
references.citation: Child Dev. 1994 Feb;65(1):253-63
references.pmid: 8131651
references.citation: J Sch Psychol. 2000 Nov;38(6):501-523
references.pmid: 20357900