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. 2022 Jan 25:12:777937.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.777937. eCollection 2021.

Self-Worth as a Mediator and Moderator Between Teacher-Student Relationships and Student Engagement in Rural Schools

Jiali Huang  1 , Guoyuan Sang  1   2 , Tzuyang Chao  3
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Free PMC article

Self-Worth as a Mediator and Moderator Between Teacher-Student Relationships and Student Engagement in Rural Schools

Jiali Huang et al. Front Psychol. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

This study examined how self-worth of students mediated and moderated their perceived positive teacher-student relationships and student engagement among middle-school students from rural China. Eighth graders (N = 838) completed surveys measuring their perceived relationships with teachers, their self-worth, and engagement. Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations among all three variables, with the strongest being between teacher-student relationships and student engagement. The structural equation modeling indicated that self-worth partially mediated the effect of teacher-student relationships on student engagement; however, positive teacher-student relationships were a stronger predictor. Multigroup analyses identified self-worth as a moderator, whereby students with lower self-worth were more reliant on positive teacher-student relationships to enhance their engagement. This study provides insights into how self-worth of students and their perceived positive teacher-student relationships influence their academic engagement in disadvantaged rural areas of China.

Keywords: rural schools; self-worth; student engagement; student learning; teacher-student relationships.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Research model.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Measurement model.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Structural equation modeling (SEM) with path coefficients. **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.
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