Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Introduction: In this study we aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationships among peer relationships, teacher-student relationships, and learning engagement in Chinese primary school students. Methods: This longitudinal study tracked 460 third-grade primary school students (mean age at T1 = 9.43 ± 0.68 years, 210 boys) through three waves of data collection (T1: June 2022, T2: January 2023, T3: October 2023) to assess their peer relationships, teacher-student relationships, and learning engagement. Results: The results revealed a persistent bidirectional relationship between peer relationships and learning engagement from grades 3 to 5. In contrast, the bidirectional relationship with teacher-student relationships was present only in grades 3 to 4 and disappeared by grade 5. Discussion: These results support the theory of developmental systems, suggesting that teacher-focused interventions in middle primary years and peer-mediated approaches in upper grades may optimize developmental outcomes.
Zhang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.