Teacher–Student Relationships, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement for Non-Latino and Latino Youth

Jul 15, 2026

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Teacher–student relationships are key drivers of youth engagement and school success, yet building caring, supportive relationships can be difficult, and engagement often declines alongside achievement. This systematic review synthesizes 26 studies on teacher–student relationships, student engagement, and academic achievement across non-Latino (16) and Latino youth (10). Results show positive associations for both groups, with engagement acting as a mediator. Constructs were multidimensional; evidence gaps include limited experimental, longitudinal, qualitative, randomized, and validity-focused designs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages50

Reading Time2 h 6 min

Abstract

Introduction

Early adolescence, engagement, and achievement

Disengagement patterns among youth

Latino students: context, gaps, and engagement

Teacher–student relationships as a mechanism

Middle school transition and relationship challenges

Teacher support for Latino students

Adolescent Res Rev DOI 10. 1007/s40894-017-0069-9 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW Teacher–Student Relationships, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement for Non-Latino and Latino Youth Yongmei Li1 Received: 10 August 2017 / Accepted: 20 August 2017 © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 Abstract Teacher–student relationships are crucial to engagement and school success for youth. However, forging caring and supportive teacher–student relationships can be challenging. Further, engagement appears to decline along with achievement. Regardless of limited research reviews on teacher–student relationships, engagement, and achievement for school-aged students, there is an urgent need for reviews focused on youth and Latino youth in particular. This study synthesized 26 studies on teacher–student relationships, engagement, and achievement for non-Latino (16 studies) and Latino youth (10 studies) . The findings were similar for non-Latino and Latino youth, with positive associations and engagement as a mediator. Teacher–student relationships (emotional support, instrumental help, clear expectations, and classroom safety) and student engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) were defined as multidimensional constructs. The findings primarily focused on emotional support and behavioral engagement. Both bodies of literature were theoretically driven (self-determination theory, ecological theory), employed surveys as the primary measure and reliable measures. There was a lack of studies with experimental, longitudinal design, qualitative methods, random sampling, power analyses and reported validity of the measures. Major differences included mixed results for the moderation effect of gender among non-Latino youth. The quality of the literature for non-Latino youth was relatively more rigorous and stronger. * Yongmei Li [yongmei.li@converse.edu](yongmei.li@converse.edu) 1 Converse College, Spartanburg, SC 29302, USA Keywords Teacher–student relationships · Student engagement · Academic achievement · Early adolescents · Latino Introduction Early adolescence is a key period for youth to develop skills, capacities, interests, and relationships that are foundationalto healthy adjustment. Student engagement and academic achievement are crucial components of competence for youth that predict school success and future career opportunities (Roorda et al. 2011) . Engagement has been related to a wide range of adolescent outcomes, such as academic success (Wang and Holcombe 2010), school dropout (Rumberger and Rotermund 2012 ; Wang and Fredricks 2014), and mental health (Bond et al. 2007). Unfortunately, student engagement appears to decline along with academic achievement (Mahatmya et al. 2012) . It is estimated that 25–40% of youth show signs of disengagement (e.g., apathy, not paying attention, not trying hard; Yazzie-Minz 2007) . Staying engaged in school and thriving academically are challenging for early adolescents regardless of ethnic group, and Latino students are no exception. Suárez-Orozco et al. (2009) found significant but gradual declines to student engagement and academic achievement among Latino youth. Katz (1999) and Stanton-Salazar (1997) described how Latino students in a middle school setting struggled in relationships with teachers, which negatively impacted their engagement and academic performance. Further, there is a wide achievement gap between Latino students and their Caucasian peers. For instance, on the 2013 eighth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics, 21% of Latino students performed at or above the proficient level, as compared to 45% for their Caucasian 1 3 peers (National Center for Educational Statistics 2013) . The underachievement of Latino youth is partially attributed to their poor engagement (Bingham and Okagaki 2012) . Teacher–student relationships have been recognized as one of the most important factors to engagement and school success fo

FAQs

What relationship between teacher–student interactions, engagement, and achievement does the review find?

Teacher–student relationships show positive associations with student engagement and academic achievement. Engagement functions as a mediator linking these factors for both non-Latino and Latino youth.

How are teacher–student relationships and student engagement defined in the reviewed studies?

Teacher–student relationships are treated as multidimensional, including emotional support, instrumental help, clear expectations, and classroom safety. Student engagement is also multidimensional, covering behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions.

What limitations are highlighted in the existing research included in the review?

The review notes a lack of experimental and longitudinal designs, qualitative methods, random sampling, power analyses, and reported validity of measurement instruments.

Jul 15, 2026

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