International Journal of School Health

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Authorship Rules and Regulations

Indexing and Abstracting

Peer Review Process

Metrics

Forms

Executive Functions as a Mediator of the Correlation between Intelligence and Student-Teacher Relationship with Behavioral Problems

Document Type : Research Article (s)

Author

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran

Abstract

Background: It is important to address individual and interpersonal factors involved in behavioral problems to prevent their serious consequences. This study investigated the mediating role of executive functions in the correlation between intelligence and student-teacher relationship with behavioral problems.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive-correlational approach. The statistical population included the students of the first grade to third grade in Bojnord, Iran. Using the cluster sampling method, two elementary schools (first period) were selected for data collection from February 2023 to April 2023. The study participants were 351 students aged 6 to 10 years old. The parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/6–18), and Behavioral rating inventory of executive functions (BRIEF). The teachers completed the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) for each student, and the students were tested individually by the Colored Progressive Matrices Test (CPMT). The data were analyzed using PLS version 4 and SPSS version 22 by correlation test and structural equation model.
Results: The findings showed that executive functions have a significant impact on behavioral problems (β=0.43, P<0.001) and the intelligence and conflicts in the student-teacher relationship strongly affect executive functions (β=-0.44, P<0.001, and β=0.41, P<0.001, respectively). Also, our results showed that intelligence and conflicts in the student-teacher relationship indirectly through executive functions affect behavioral problems (β=-0.19, P<0.001, and β=0.17, P<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Positive teacher-student relationships are vital for improving self-regulation skills, academic performance, and emotional and social well-being of elementary school students.

Highlights

Malahat Amani: (Google Scholar), (PubMed)

 

 

How to Cite: Amani M. Executive Functions as a Mediator of the Correlation between Intelligence and Student-Teacher Relationship with Behavioral Problems. Int. J. School. Health. 2024;11(2):126-134. doi: 10.30476/INTJSH.2024.101072.1367.

Keywords

References
  1. Sadock BJ. Kaplan & Sadock's synopsis of psychiatry: behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry: Wolters Kluwer Philadelphia, PA; 2015.
  2. Ghandour RM, Sherman LJ, Vladutiu CJ, Ali MM, Lynch SE, Bitsko RH, et al. Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in US children. J Pediatr. 2019;206:256-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.021. PubMed PMID: 30322701; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6673640.
  3. Jari M, Kelishadi R, Ardalan G, Taheri M, Taslimi M, Motlagh ME. Prevalence of behavioral disorders in Iranian children. HSR. 2016;12(1):109-13. Persian.
  4. Plomin R, Deary IJ. Genetics and intelligence differences: five special findings. Mol Psychiatry. 2015;20(1):98-108. doi: 10.1038/mp.2014.105. PubMed PMID: 25224258; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4270739.
  5. Hinshaw SP. Externalizing behavior problems and academic underachievement in childhood and adolescence: causal relationships and underlying mechanisms. Psychol Bull. 1992;111(1):127-55. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.111.1.127. PubMed PMID: 1539086.
  6. Sanchez de Ribera O, Kavish N, Katz IM, Boutwell BB. Untangling intelligence, psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and conduct problems: a meta–analytic review. European Journal of Personality. 2019;33(5):529-564. doi: 10.1002/per.2207.
  7. Duran-Bonavila S, Morales-Vives F, Cosi S, Vigil-Colet A. How impulsivity and intelligence are related to different forms of aggression. Personality and Individual Differences. 2017;117:66-70. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.05.033.
  8. Kavish N, Helton J, Vaughn MG, Boutwell BB. The association of externalizing and internalizing problems with indicators of intelligence in a sample of at-risk children. Intelligence. 2020;80:101448. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101448.
  9. Waber DP, Gerber EB, Turcios VY, Wagner ER, Forbes PW. Executive functions and performance on high-stakes testing in children from urban schools. Dev Neuropsychol. 2006;29(3):459-77. doi: 10.1207/s15326942dn2903_5. PubMed PMID: 16671862.
  10. Dawson EL, Shear PK, Strakowski SM. Behavior regulation and mood predict social functioning among healthy young adults. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2012;34(3):297-305. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2011.639297. PubMed PMID: 22225510.
  1. Schoemaker K, Mulder H, Deković M, Matthys W. Executive functions in preschool children with externalizing behavior problems: A meta-analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2013;41(3):457-71. doi: 10.1007/s10802-012-9684-x. PubMed PMID: 23054130.
  2. Chan RC, Shum D, Toulopoulou T, Chen EYH. Assessment of executive functions: Review of instruments and identification of critical issues. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2008;23(2):201-16. doi: 10.1016/j.acn.2007.08.010. PubMed PMID: 18096360.
  1. Spilt JL, Koomen HM, Mantzicopoulos PY. Young children's perceptions of teacher–child relationships: An evaluation of two instruments and the role of child gender in kindergarten. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 2010;31(6):428-438. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2010.07.006.
  2. Sabol TJ, Pianta RC. Relationships between teachers and children. Handbook of Psychology, 2nd; 2012.
  3. Tsigilis N, Gregoriadis A, Grammatikopoulos V. Evaluating the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale in the Greek educational setting: an item parcelling perspective. Teacher–Child Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care Classrooms: Routledge; 2020. p. 4-16. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2017.1353675.
  4. Buyse E, Verschueren K, Doumen S, Van Damme J, Maes F. Classroom problem behavior and teacher-child relationships in kindergarten: The moderating role of classroom climate. J Sch Psychol. 2008;46(4):367-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2007.06.009. PubMed PMID: 19083364.
  5. Poulou MS. An examination of the relationship among teachers' perceptions of social-emotional learning, teaching efficacy, teacher-student interactions, and students' behavioral difficulties. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology. 2017;5(2):126-36. doi: 10.1080/21683603.2016.1203851.
  6. Coplan RJ, Bullock A, Archbell KA, Bosacki S. Preschool teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and emotional reactions to young children's peer group behaviors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2015;30:117-127. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.09.005.
  7. Doumen S, Verschueren K, Buyse E, Germeijs V, Luyckx K, Soenens B. Reciprocal relations between teacher–child conflict and aggressive behavior in kindergarten: A three-wave longitudinal study. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2008;37(3):588-99. doi: 10.1080/15374410802148079. PubMed PMID: 18645749.
  8. Silver RB, Measelle JR, Armstrong JM, Essex MJ. The impact of parents, child care providers, teachers, and peers on early externalizing trajectories. J Sch Psychol. 2010;48(6):555-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2010.08.003. PubMed PMID: 21094398; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3017381.
  9. Rimm-Kaufman SE, La Paro KM, Downer JT, Pianta RC. The contribution of classroom setting and quality of instruction to children’s behavior in kindergarten classrooms. The Elementary School Journal. 2005;105(4):377-394. doi: 10.1086/429948.
  10. Eisenhower AS, Blacher J, Bush HH. Longitudinal associations between externalizing problems and student–teacher relationship quality for young children with ASD. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2015;9:163-173. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2014.09.007.
  11. de Wilde A, Koot HM, van Lier PA. Developmental links between children’s working memory and their social relations with teachers and peers in the early school years. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016;44(1):19-30. doi: 10.1007/s10802-015-0053-4. PubMed PMID: 26219261; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715126.
  12. Vandenbroucke L, Spilt J, Verschueren K, Piccinin C, Baeyens D. The classroom as a developmental context for cognitive development: A meta-analysis on the importance of teacher–student interactions for children’s executive functions. Review of Educational Research. 2018;88(1):125-64. doi: 10.3102/0034654317743200.
  13. Poulou M. Teacher-student relationships, social and emotional skills, and emotional and behavioural difficulties. International Journal of Educational Psychology. 2015;4(1):84-108. doi: 10.4471/ijep.2015.04.
  14. Wubbels T, Brekelmans M. Two decades of research on teacher–student relationships in class. International Journal of Educational Research. 2005;43(1-2):6-24. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2006.03.003.
  15. Rescorla LA. Manual for the ASEBA School-age Forms & Profiles: An Integrated System of Multi-informant Assessment: Aseba; 2001.
  16. Yazdkhasti F, Oreyzi H. Standardization of child, parent and teacher’s forms of child behavior checklist in the city of Isfahan. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 2011;17(1):60-70. Persian.
  17. Gioia GA, Isquith PK, Guy SC, Kenworthy L. Test review behavior rating inventory of executive function. Child Neuropsychology. 2000;6(3):235-238. doi: 10.1076/chin.6.3.235.3152.
  18. Salimi Nave F, Andishmand V, Zeinaddini Z, Soltani A. Factor Structure and Validation of the Electronic form of Persian Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions in Male School Students With Learning Disabilities. The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2022;11(1):144-53. doi: 10.32598/SJRM.11.1.15. Persian.
  19. Pianta RC. Student–teacher relationship scale–short form. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources; 2001.
  20. Koomen HM, Verschueren K, van Schooten E, Jak S, Pianta RC. Validating the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: Testing factor structure and measurement invariance across child gender and age in a Dutch sample. J Sch Psychol. 2012;50(2):215-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2011.09.001. PubMed PMID: 22386121.
  21. Vahidi E, Ghanbari S, Koomen H, Zardkhane SA, Zee M. Examining factorial validity of the student–teacher relationship scale in the Iranian educational setting. Studies in Educational Evaluation. 2022;72:101125. doi: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2022.101125.
  22. Rasouli Foshtami A, Hashemi T, Kiamarsi A, Ghaffari A. Determination of psychometric indicators and standardization of intelligence test of children’s raven colored progressive matrices in elementary school students. J Child Ment Health. 2022;9(1):158-175. doi: 10.52547/jcmh.9.1.11.
  23. Hu Lt, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal. 1999;6(1):1-55. doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118.
  24. Dijkstra TK, Henseler J. Consistent and asymptotically normal PLS estimators for linear structural equations. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis. 2015;81:10-23. doi: 10.1016/j.csda.2014.07.008.
  25. Ladd GW, Burgess KB. Do relational risks and protective factors moderate the linkages between childhood aggression and early psychological and school adjustment? Child Dev. 2001;72(5):1579-601. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00366. PubMed PMID: 11699688.
  26. Hamre B, Hatfield B, Pianta R, Jamil F. Evidence for general and domain‐specific elements of teacher–child interactions: Associations with preschool children's development. Child Dev. 2014;85(3):1257-1274. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12184. PubMed PMID: 24255933.
  27. Bukhalenkova D, Veraksa A, Chursina A. The Effect of Kindergarten Classroom Interaction Quality on Executive Function Development among 5-to 7-Year-Old Children. Education Sciences. 2022;12(5):1-10. doi: 10.3390/educsci12050320.
  28. Sankalaite S, Huizinga M, Dewandeleer J, Xu C, de Vries N, Hens E, et al. Strengthening executive function and self-regulation through teacher-student interaction in preschool and primary school children: A systematic review. Front Psychol. 2021;12:718262. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.718262. PubMed PMID: 34489822; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8417378.
International Journal of School Health
Volume 11, Issue 2 - Serial Number 42
April 2024
Pages 126-134
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics