Relationships

People and Community

Relationships are the key to all aspects of the development of children and schools are the place they spend more time than home. School is where students are with their friends, shape their identities, and prepare for the future. It is also the place where relationships influence psychological wellbeing and development.319, 339 Some of the most influential relationships are between students and their teachers332 and this relationship is pivotal in socio-emotional development, the development of prosocial behaviors, and academic completion.

Student-teacher relationships

Some of the most important influences on youth in schools are teachers333 with qualifications and experience influencing achievement and graduation rates334 while the quality of teachers differs across diverse social groups.417 A national study found that a lack of meaningful positive relationships with adults in school was one of the main reasons for dropping out of high school.335 Teacher support both in academics and socio-emotionally is vital336 to the teacher-student bond337 and can be instrumental or an obstruction to the student. The quality of the teacher and student relationship has been shown to influence student motivation and engagement in learning, socio-emotional development,332, 338 and a sense of belonging340 in longitudinal and crosssectional studies. Engagement is important for resilience in academics which can lead to increased achievement which is related to positive school experiences.341 A positive and supportive classroom climate can lead to better student motivation and engagement as well as overall wellbeing.338, 339 Studies support that learning which is challenging for students is important for engagement and achievement323 and meaningful work related to experiences helps to promote motivation in learning as well as increases bonding with other students.332 In addition, studies show that teachers with more selfefficacy in being able to teach all students in the class in the subjects that they teach have students that also feel more efficacious in the ability to learn.338 Extending out of the classroom the teacher-student relationship helps to develop school belonging and peer bonding in the perspective of creating schools as communities.342, 343 An integrative model suggests that the attachment that students have with adult staff shapes student connection with peers and can contribute to behavioral choices that potentially nurture commitment to school and peers leading to participation in activities and the avoidance of risky behaviors.344

Teacher-teacher/staff relationships

The physical structure and people infrastructure that is built on all levels and contexts are at the core of how teachers can be supported in their work with the changes in educational standards that come from national and local policies as well as the differing needs of students.418 Educational change can be challenging226, 419 and time-consuming failing to allow for adaptation and innovation.176 There is also the importance of the physical structure and location of the school that needs to be able to work with the educational changes420 and a relationship between activities that take place in the school.325, 326 The functionality and change of physical and organizational structures not addressing pedagogic perspectives421 can fail to increase teacher efficacy and motivation188 thus potentially losing teachers to more familiar and traditionally structured schools.327 The ability for school staff to monitor common areas can help to facilitate school climate and give autonomy and ownership to students. Just as the built environment for the classroom is important for the ability to teach, the design of the common areas of the school facilitate relationships and interactions between peers that teachers and school staff can support.320 Reviews focused on educational settings and architectural views have proposed new ways to understand the relationship between spaces and activities,354, 422 the evolution of teaching and learning in modified settings,183, 184 and the reciprocal nature of space and approach to teaching.328 There is the opportunity for school staff to be supported in the physical environments in which they work and use space as a tool for possibilities in pedagogical adaptation and innovation.324 It is important for teachers to be supported by other teachers and staff. Supportive school culture helps to increase the wellbeing of teachers.329 Understanding the social structures and cultural context of the communities where they work as well as having useful trainings that address types of pedagogy, shared team culture, and the practice of school procedures help with trust and self-efficacy of knowing what to do in a range of situations.330 Teaching is hard and there is a growing concern about new teacher attrition423 ways to retain existing teachers. There is a value in having intergenerational learning from colleagues of all ages and experience levels.424 In Belgium and Finland, teachers took part in a pilot where they were taught skills of intergenerational learning and eight themes emerged: practical information, classroom management, knowledge content, pedagogy, self-regulation, attitudes, teacher values, and community building. This small study reinforced the understanding that development does not come from only formal training but much of it happens with supportive discussions with colleagues and everyday implementation of practice.424 When surveys asked about the most helpful things for teachers, mentorship and sharing with other teachers and staff were the most helpful330, 331 and least helpful things were lack of materials and training as well as unsupportive administration.331

Highlights

1. Teacher support (training, physical space, and supportive relationships) contributes to a better workplace and effective teaching. 2. The student-teacher relationship is key in supporting social-emotional learning, encouraging prosocial behaviors, and creating more engaged and motivated learning. 3. When students feel supported, have a sense of belonging, and have opportunities to engage in activities, they can have increased well-being as well as better completion and academic outcomes.