Different teachers, different relationships? Student-teacher relationships and engagement in secondary education

The present study examined whether secondary school students share different relationships with different teachers (homeroom teacher, teacher of easiest subject, teacher of hardest subject). Furthermore, we investigated whether students' engagement with the subjects of these teachers and associations between relationship quality and engagement varied across subjects. Seventh grade students (N=476; 50.8% boys) reported about their relationships (closeness, conflict) with the three teachers and their behavioral and emotional engagement with the three subjects. Structural equation modeling revealed that students experienced the most favorable relationship with their homeroom teacher and the least favorable relationship with the teacher of their hardest subject. Students were also less behaviorally and emotionally engaged with their hardest subject than with the other two subjects. Finally, associations between relationship quality and engagement did not differ across subjects. To conclude, it seems important to distinguish between teachers and subjects when examining relationships and engagement in secondary school.