The Impact of Classroom Management, Teacher-Student Relationships, and Mental Health on Academic Engagement in China
Abstract
This study explores the intricate connections between classroom management, teacher-student relationships, teachers' mental health, and students' academic engagement in Chinese high schools. As China continues to advance its educational reforms, gaining insight into these interactions is vital for improving educational outcomes. The research utilized a quantitative methodology, collecting data from 379 high school teachers in Shenzhen, China. The findings revealed significant positive correlations between classroom management and teacher-student relationships (r = .68, p < .01), classroom management and academic engagement (r = .63, p < .01), and teacher-student relationships and academic engagement (r = .67, p < .01). Additionally, teachers' mental health was moderately positively correlated with these factors. Through multiple regression analysis, it was found that classroom management, teacher-student relationships, and teachers' mental health together accounted for 57.2% of the variance in students' academic engagement (R² = .572, p < .001). Among these, teacher-student relationships were identified as the strongest predictor of academic engagement (β = .369, p < .001), followed by classroom management (β = .297, p < .001) and teachers' mental health (β = .189, p < .001). These results underscore the importance of cultivating positive teacher-student relationships and effective classroom management in Chinese high schools. The study enhances the understanding of educational dynamics within the Chinese context and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators, suggesting that a holistic approach addressing classroom management, teacher-student relationships, and teacher well-being can significantly boost student engagement and academic success in Chinese high schools.
Downloads
References
Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., Kim, D., & Reschly, A. L. (2006). Measuring cognitive and psychological engagement: Validation of the Student Engagement Instrument. Journal of School Psychology, 44(5), 427–445.
Baruch, Y., & Holtom, B. C. (2008). Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research. Human Relations, 61(8), 1139–1160.
Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216.
Chen, P., Bao, C., & Gao, Q. (2021). Proactive personality and academic engagement: The mediating effects of teacher-student relationships and academic self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 652994.
Chen, S., Cheng, A., & Mehta, K. (2019). Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire in Taiwanese adolescents. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 207(7), 578–584.
Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: The tailored design method. John Wiley & Sons.
Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage.
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109.
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference, 17.0 update (10th ed.). Pearson.
Goldberg, D. P., & Williams, P. (1988). A user's guide to the General Health Questionnaire. NFER-Nelson.
Gu, X., Wang, C., & Qu, X. (2019). Culturally responsive classroom management in Chinese contexts: A case study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 102–113.
Guo, Y., Zhang, L., & Xu, J. (2022). Emotional engagement and academic achievement in Chinese high schools: A longitudinal study. Learning and Instruction, 78, 101541.
Huang, Y., & Zhao, N. (2021). Mental health burden for high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A nationwide cross-sectional study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 292, 171–178.
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610.
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 46(3), 517–528.
Levin, K. A. (2006). Study design III: Cross-sectional studies. Evidence-Based Dentistry, 7(1), 24–25.
Li, X., Bergin, C., & Olsen, A. A. (2022). Positive teacher-student relationships may lead to better teaching. Learning and Instruction, 80, 101581.
Liu, H., Zhang, M., Yang, Q., & Yu, B. (2019). Gender differences in the influence of social support on mental health among Chinese high school students. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(10), 2751–2761.
Newberry, M., & Davis, H. A. (2008). The role of elementary teachers’ conceptions of closeness to students on their differential behaviour in the classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(8), 1965–1985.
Pianta, R. C. (2001). Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: Professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources.
Qin, X., & Qi, J. (2020). Teacher-student relationships and students’ academic stress: The moderating role of academic self-efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(8), 1617–1631.
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81(4), 493–529.
Sprick, J., Sprick, R., Edwards, J., & Coughlin, C. (2021). CHAMPS: A proactive & positive approach to classroom management. Safe & Civil Schools/Ancora Publishing.
Stratton, S. J. (2021). Population research: Convenience sampling strategies. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36(4), 373–374.
Wang, M. T., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020). Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 57, 100912.
Wentzel, K. R. (2016). Teacher-student relationships. In Handbook of motivation at school (pp. 211–230). Routledge.
Wu, H., Li, S., & Zheng, J. (2023). Burnout and emotional labor among Chinese high school teachers: The moderating role of emotional intelligence. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, 103903.
Yang, Y., Zhang, Y., & Sheldon, K. M. (2020). Self-determined motivation for studying abroad predicts lower culture shock and greater well-being among international students: The mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 76, 12–22.
Zhang, D., & Gu, X. (2021). Teacher-student relationships and students’ academic engagement: The mediating role of academic emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 658536.
Zhang, L., Tian, Y., & Zheng, X. (2021). Academic engagement and dropout intention among Chinese high school students: The mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 49(7), e10366.
Zhao, Y. (2018). Shifting the education paradigm: Why international borrowing is no longer sufficient for improving education in China. ECNU Review of Education, 1(1), 76–106.
Zhou, J., Bao, J., & He, R. (2022). Characteristics of good mathematics teaching in China: Findings from classroom observations. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1–20.
