Good parent-teacher relationship tied to better student performance

Better parent-teacher relationship, including active communication and participation in meetings, appears to lead to better student academic achievement, according to a recent study.

In 8,426 students from more than 400 classes across 112 schools in China, the mean score for academic achievement was 65.54, which was significantly lower in boys than in girls (p<0.001), and was significantly tied to the students’ cognitive abilities (p<0.001). [Front Psychol 2022;13:872301]

Parent-related factors were also important for their kids’ academic performance, particularly those associated with teacher relations. For instance, students whose parents who were more willing to participate in meetings to discuss their performance in school saw significantly better academic achievements (p<0.001).

Similarly, the parents’ open communication with teachers correlated with better academic achievements (p<0.01), as was being unafraid to communicate with teachers (p<0.001). Parents with higher education level were also more likely to have their kids perform better in school (p<0.001).

In contrast, children whose parents were unwilling to cooperate with teacher requirements performed worse (p<0.05).

Of note, family economic status (FES) was not an important correlate of student academic performance on an individual level but emerged as an important determinant in classroom-level analyses.

“Together, these results indicate that, in the same class, student’s FES did not impact his/her academic achievement; however, a student in a classroom with a higher percentage of rich families would have a higher academic achievement score,” the researchers said.

The present study used data from the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 waves of the China Education Panel Survey, a large-scale and nationally representative longitudinal study investigating a potential carry-over effect of parent-teacher relationships on student performance.

Current findings validate the presence of such a carry-over effect, both at the individual student level and at the class-level. When parents and teachers form a healthy relationship with each other, the child tends to have better academic achievements. Similarly, inequities across the educational system, which lead to overpopulated classrooms and overburdened teachers, could impact students’ performance.

“It’s important to take measures to promote the parent-teacher relationship for middle school students,” the researchers said, suggesting that “teachers should develop an equal dialogue with parents and guide parents to take the initiative to participate in school education.”

Moreover, parents should also make an effort to expand their channels of communications with teachers, while the school should work at creating and promoting an open and inclusive environment both for teachers and parents.

“Future research should attempt to compare the differences in the influence of parent-teacher relationships in different grades,” the researchers said. Further studies should also examine the impact of parent-teacher relationships on the students’ cognitive, social, and behavioural development.