Teacher-student relationships and adolescent social-emotional competence: A multicenter longitudinal study.

Abstract

Social-emotional competence plays a pivotal role in adolescent development. Currently, teacher-student relationships are widely recognized as a critical determinant of adolescents' social-emotional competence, yet the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored. This study employed a multicenter longitudinal design to examine the associations and pathways linking teacher-student relationships and adolescents' social-emotional competence, with particular attention to the mediating roles of school climate and interpersonal trust. Using a multicenter, stratified cluster sampling strategy, a longitudinal survey was conducted between June and December 2024 with 793 high school students. The survey instruments assessed demographic characteristics, teacher-student relationships, social-emotional competence, school climate, and interpersonal trust, and the relationships among variables were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings indicated that adolescents' social-emotional competence was at a moderate level. Teacher-student relationships positively predicted social-emotional competence, with school climate serving as a mediator between teacher-student relationships and social-emotional competence, while interpersonal trust mediated the link between teacher-student relationships and school climate. Thus, teacher-student relationships were directly related to adolescents' social-emotional competence and also indirectly influenced it through a sequential mediation pathway involving interpersonal trust and school climate. These results underscore the importance of fostering positive teacher-student relationships, strengthening interpersonal trust, and cultivating a supportive school climate to promote adolescents' social-emotional competence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).