Popular Students Academic Adjustment during the Middle School Transition and the Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships

The current study investigated the associations of students’ social status (likeability, popularity, & unlikability) and teacher student relationships with their academic engagement and achievement. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using self-report and peer nomination data from 996 students (398 fifth graders in elementary school & 383 seventh graders in middle school). Likeability was positively associated with GPA and achievement scores, unlikability was negatively associated with students’ behavioral engagement, GPA, and reading achievement, and the relation of popularity with students’ engagement depended on their teacher-student relationships. Disliked seventh graders reported lower engagement and GPA than disliked fifth graders, with these effects mediated by their teacher-student relationships. The results demonstrate the importance of considering peer and teacher relationships jointly to understand early adolescent academic adjustment.