A reciprocal association between interpersonal relationship quality and student's positive affect: A three-wave random intercept cross-lagged study in a Chinese primary mathematics learning context.

AIM: This study adopted a three-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model to explore the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between (a) the teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality and (b) the parent-child relationship (PCR) quality and positive affect among Chinese primary school students. SAMPLES: Two primary school student samples, including 3505 and 2505 students, were tracked with their perceived relationship quality with math teachers and parents and their positive affect levels in mathematics learning over three academic years. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that more closeness with parents could significantly predict students' subsequent higher level of positive affect in mathematics learning. However, more closeness with their math teachers did not show significant prediction. Meanwhile, more conflict with math teachers and parents could significantly predict their subsequent lower degree of perceived positive affect in mathematics learning. That is, a reciprocal association lines in the PCR quality and positive affect, whereas only a unidirectional association exists between the TSR and positive affect. The predictions of the experienced positive affect on their perceived interpersonal relationships with math teachers and parents were stronger than those in the reverse association. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies that while the effects of closeness with math teachers and parents on positive affect in students' math learning differ, conflict with math teachers and parents indeed harms students' experienced positive affect in math learning. More attention should also be paid to fostering positive affect in math learning.

Measuring Self-Esteem with Expanded Format in a Fraction of Time: ESE-S and ESE-US.

Despite the ubiquity of Likert format scales, they are not without problems-distorted dimensionality being one of the most serious. Zhang and Savalei proposed an alternative to Likert format called the Expanded format, in which each response option in the Likert scale is replaced with a series of complete statements. In response to their recent call, the purpose of the present study is to develop concise but valid Expanded format scales for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Short (four-item) and ultra-short (two-item) scales were constructed, and their validity was examined in four studies. Results showed both new scales had good psychometric properties (dimensionality, reliability, and validity). Therefore, they would seem to be practical alternatives to the RSES for future research.

Validation of Academic Resilience Scales Adapted in a Collective Culture.

The study aimed to adapt and validate two popular instruments on academic resilience in a collectivistic culture. One is a brief unidimensional scale (ARS_SCV), and another is a context-specific multidimensional scale (ARS_MCV). The participants were 569 high school students in China. Based on Messick's validity framework, we provided evidence to support the construct validity of the newly developed scales. Results first indicated that both scales were reliable with high internal consistency and construct reliability. Then, the results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFAs) showed that ARS_SCV had a unidimensional factor structure and ARS_MCV had a four-factor structure. Multi-group CFAs then showed that both models were invariant across gender and socio-economic status (SES) levels. Results of correlations demonstrated that both scales significantly correlated with each other and with other external constructs (grit, academic self-efficacy, and learning engagement). The findings of this study contribute to the literature by proposing two instruments, which provide practitioners with options for specific assessments to measure academic resilience in a collectivist culture.

Social relationships and grit in English as a foreign language learning among high school students: A three-wave longitudinal study.

This study examined the longitudinal reciprocal relations between students' grit and their perceptions of social relationships (teacher-student and peer relationships) in studying English as a foreign language (EFL). A total of 2,435 students from Grades 10-11 in China (Mage = 16.40 years old, 54.2% female) participated in the study on three occasions across 1 year. The three-wave cross-lagged analytic model results indicated that (a) peer relationship and grit reciprocally enhanced each other across both intervals; (b) the teacher-student relationship at Time 2 was influenced by Time 1 grit, but not vice versa. Nevertheless, the teacher-student relationship transactionally facilitated each other during the second interval (from Time 2 to Time 3). The multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) results indicated that such relations remained stable across gender. The study's findings contribute to ongoing research delineating the dynamic system between social relationships and grit in EFL learning. It also reveals that males and females benefit similarly during social communications with peers and their English language teachers. Implications for educational practices were discussed.