Explaining teachers' judgement accuracy of students' subjective well-being by students' individual characteristics and the teacher-student relationship

This study investigates whether individual student characteristics and the teacher-student relationship can explain teachers' judgment (in)accuracy of three aspects of students' subjective well-being in early primary education. To this end, we analyse the consistency and specificity of teacher reports and self-reports (N = 1582) of Grade 3 students' subjective well-being by employing a multiple-indicator correlated trait-correlated method minus one model, with explanatory variables assessed in Grades 1 and 3. Our findings indicate that the consistency of teacher reports with students' self-reports is relatively low to moderate. Students' gender, academic achievement, intelligence and behavioural skills are significantly associated with the specificity of teacher reports of students' subjective well-being. The teacher-student relationship explains the specificity in teacher reports, with negative associations for conflicts and positive associations for closeness. This study highlights the relevance of behavioural skills and the teacher-student relationship for the alignment between teachers' judgment and self-reports of students' subjective well-being.

Educational relevance and implications statement

Accurate teacher judgment of students' subjective well-being is essential for addressing individual differences and for adaptive teaching, which in turn promotes students' academic and socio-emotional development. The findings of this study reveal that teachers' judgment accuracy of students' subjective well-being in Grade 3 is only low to moderate. Students' gender, academic achievement, intelligence and behavioural skills assessed in Grades 1 and 3 significantly relate to teachers' judgment (in-)accuracy of students' subjective well-being. Furthermore, a conflicting teacher-student relationship is negatively associated with teachers' judgment accuracy, while closeness is positively associated. As one of the first studies, our findings point to a nuanced role of student behaviours and teacher-student relationships in shaping teachers' judgments of students' subjective well-being.