Teacher-student relationships and adult outcomes: Developmental cascades via childhood executive function and behavioral dysregulation

May 2026

Longitudinal data were examined to test associations between teacher-student relationships and adult outcomes, as well as mechanisms underlying these associations. Results from the NICHD-SECCYD (N=1364; 52% male; 76% White; 13% Black; 6% Hispanic; 5% other; data collection took place in the U.S. beginning in 1991) revealed a complex set of findings. First, teacher-student conflict and closeness during early elementary school were associated with educational attainment, occupational prestige, arrest record, and risky behavior at age 26 (r=-.21-.17, ps<.01). Next, behavioral dysregulation during middle elementary school, but not executive function, mediated associations between teacher-student conflict and age 26 outcomes. Finally, behavioral dysregulation and end of high school functioning serially mediated associations between teacher-student conflict and adult outcomes. These findings showcase the relevance of teacher-student relationships for outcomes spanning two decades of development.

Keywords

Teacher-Student Relationships, Executive Function, Behavioral Dysregulation, Developmental Cascades

Education level

K-12 Education

Topics

Pathways to and Through Postsecondary