Perceived Teacher-Student Relationship and Reading Performance in Indonesia
Keywords:
teacher relationship; reading performance; PISA 22; student achievement; literacy outcomesAbstract
Reading literacy remains a major concern in Indonesian secondary education, making it important to identify school-related factors associated with students’ reading performance, especially for teacher education and professional development. This study examined the relationship between students’ perceived teacher-student relationship and reading performance among Indonesian participants in PISA 2022. Using a quantitative cross-sectional secondary-data design, the study analysed 13,034 Indonesian students with complete data on reading performance, teacher-student relationship, socioeconomic status, gender, and grade level. Reading performance was represented by the ten PISA 2022 reading plausible values, while teacher-student relationship was constructed from student questionnaire items measuring teacher respect, concern, friendliness, interest in students’ well-being, and reverse-coded negative relational experiences. The scale showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .69; standardized alpha = .71). Survey-weighted linear regression was applied using student final weights, replicate weights, and plausible value procedures. Results indicated a positive association between teacher-student relationship and reading performance. In the adjusted model, a one-point increase in the relationship index was associated with an approximately 14.14-point increase in reading performance, after controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, and grade level. Socioeconomic status and grade level were also positively associated with reading performance, whereas male students scored lower than female students. Overall, the findings suggest that relational competence matters alongside evidence-based reading instruction.
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