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.
Keywords
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