Develop and select relationship measures that reflect an integrated understanding of core relationship components — dyadic and multidimensional — identified across relational and motivation theories¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 review), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

As a path forward, the review recommends that researchers appropriately distinguish existing measures of teacher–student relationships from teacher support, and develop new measures that critically engage with conceptual concerns. The authors "highlight the need for the development of measures which critically engage with conceptual concerns regarding teacher–student relationships and which reflect an integrated understanding of core relationship components (e.g., dyadic, multidimensional)". This addresses the current lack of alignment between theorizing and measurement.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Measure development must engage with both relational and motivation theories rather than assuming alignment between them

Constraints¶

• Until the extent of overlap and interchangeability between framings is identified, applied researchers will likely continue to conflate the constructs

Target Learners¶

• Adolescents in secondary school

Target Learning Goals¶

• Improved measurement of teacher–student relationships to support motivation theory testing and intervention design

Claims¶

• Adolescent motivation research relies almost exclusively on student self-report of relationships, with dyadic and non-dyadic configurations both common [+W]
• Teacher–student relationships and teacher support are used interchangeably in adolescent motivation research, in both terminology and measurement [+W]
• Most adolescent motivation studies measure teacher–student relationships unidimensionally rather than multidimensionally [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Use statistical and conceptual procedures to distinguish sibling constructs and compare sibling theories' predictions
• Develop secondary-specific conceptualisations and measures of positive teacher-student relationships

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Emma C. Burns · Penny Van Bergen. (2025). What Are Teacher–Student Relationships in Adolescent Motivation Research? A Systematic Review of Conceptualizations, Measurement, and Analysis. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09998-y