Bettina Hannover

We investigated how the quality of teacher behavior in dyadic interactions – as an aspect of constructive support – is related to students’ school adjustment. In 224 teacher–student dyads observed at two time points, teachers were rated on communion (warmth, sensitivity) and agency (guidance, monitoring), and students on school adjustment indicators (e. g., anger expression, cooperation). Teacher behavior marked by high communion and withdrawn agency was linked to better student adjustment. Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that higher teacher communion at T1 predicted lower student anger and higher student joy at T2, while other associations were nonsignificant. Conversely, well-adjusted students at T1 elicited more positive teacher behavior – higher communion and withdrawn agency – at T2, suggesting that teachers show more positive interpersonal behavior when interacting with well-adjusted students. We discuss how teachers can be supported in demonstrating strong communion and withdrawn agency adapted to each student’s developmental stage.

Background & Aims: Mathematics anxiety impairs student learning, particularly affecting girls. Grounded in interpersonal theory, this study investigated how interpersonal teacher behaviours in student‐teacher dyads relate to boys' and girls' mathematics anxiety. We defined these behaviours using an interpersonal circumplex, which blends agency (guidance, control) and communion (warmth, sensitivity). Additionally, we examined whether these relationships are indirectly linked through students' mathematics self‐concept and their perception of teacher expectations. Sample: We surveyed 42 mathematics teachers (32 female) and 743 of their primary school students (362 female). Methods: Teachers described their interpersonal teacher behaviour toward each individual student in their class. Using circumplex modelling, we derived teacher agency and communion as underlying dimensions of teachers' interpersonal profiles. We then applied structural equation modelling to analyse which profiles most strongly relate to girls' and boys' mathematics anxiety and to test for indirect associations. Results: Teacher behaviour combining high agency with low communion was associated with higher mathematics anxiety in the student‐teacher dyad. Low teacher communion was significantly related to mathematics anxiety in girls only. Indirect associations between teacher behaviour and student mathematics anxiety via self‐concept and student‐perceived teacher‐expectation emerged for agency in both genders, but for communion only in girls. Conclusions: Lower teacher agency in dyadic interactions may be linked to a less anxious approach to mathematics. High teacher communion may be particularly vital for girls as they are more likely to form strong bonds with their teacher than boys and often confront negative performance‐related stereotypes in mathematics.

In schools, cooperative peer relationships wherein students collaborate on classroom assignments serve as an invaluable resource, promoting equitable exchange and supportive academic development. We investigated whether a teacher’s interpersonal behavior in teacher–student dyads influences a student’s integration into the classroom’s cooperation peer network. Based on social learning and social referencing frameworks, we hypothesized that a student whose teacher displays more communal (e.g., warmth, sensitivity) and less agentic (e.g., guidance, control) behavior towards him or her is more likely to be selected by peers as cooperation partner. Forty-six teachers and their 1,046 third to sixth grade students participated. Using an interpersonal circumplex, teachers rated their behavior towards each student of their class, based on the dimensions of agency (e.g., guidance, control) and communion (e.g., warmth, sensitivity). Sociometric surveys were administered to assess how many classmates preferred to collaborate with each student (indegrees) within the classroom (cooperation peer network). Students’ reading and mathematics competencies, measured via standardized tests, were included as control variables. Results showed that students with higher reading skills received more indegrees. Importantly, and consistent with our hypothesis, students received more indegrees when their teacher displayed higher levels of communal behavior and lower levels of agentic behavior toward them, even after accounting for reading and mathematics competencies. We discuss how teacher interpersonal behaviors characterized by high communion and low agency foster inclusive, supportive classroom environments that promote high levels of peer acceptance and cooperation.

Considering the rise of far-right groups in Western countries, we examined whether exposure to media coverage on the far-right is associated with attitudes toward it, using surveys in 15 Western democratic countries (total N = 2,576). We hypothesized that greater media exposure to the far-right will be associated with greater perceived prevalence and acceptability of it, which will in turn be associated with divergent attitudes. On the one hand, greater perceived prevalence may be associated with more unfavorable attitudes toward the far-right (a threat response). On the other hand, greater perceived acceptability may be associated with more favorable attitudes toward the far-right (a normalization response). Overall, there was more evidence for a threat response than a normalization response: media exposure was consistently related to greater perceived prevalence (but not acceptability) of the far-right. This research underscores the importance of studying the consequences of the rise of the far-right.

Interpersonal teacher behavior can be described with the Interpersonal Circumplex on the dimensions of communion (warmth, sensitivity) and agency (initiative, control). In an observational study, we investigated whether a teacher's interpersonal behavior in dyadic interactions with a student is complementary to the student's communion and scholastic competence: Does the teacher act communal to the extent that the student behaves communal, and does the teacher act more agentic the less competent the student is? In 39 primary and secondary schools, we conducted direct classroom observations for two teacher‐student dyads each (78 dyads). Using Structural Summary Method, we found as expected that teacher communion was positively associated with student communion, to the detriment of students who have not yet learned to behave in a communal manner. Further, results showed a negative association between teacher agency and student competence, suggesting that teachers engaged in adaptive teaching. Results further showed that weak teacher communion was related to low student competence. We discuss the implications for teacher education and training, namely that teachers should be trained to prevent falling into patterns of dysfunctional, non‐communal behavior when confronted with a particular set of student characteristics and behaviors.

In Germany, Turkish-origin students face negative competence-related stereotypes held by different groups in society, including teachers at school. While a large body of research has examined stereotypes (i.e., other-stereotypes) about immigrant students, little is known about their own competence-related meta-stereotypes, i.e., beliefs regarding the other-stereotypes that outgroup peers hold about them. The present study addresses this research gap by examining Turkish- and German-origin students’ meta-stereotypes about two dimensions of competencies not yet investigated, namely Turkish- and German-origin students’ subject-related German competence as well as their general school competence using a newly developed instrument combining verbal and non-verbal measures. These assessments are juxtaposed to the evaluations of a group of peers with other immigrant backgrounds (i.e., others’ meta-stereotypes). In line with previous evidence, we found positive meta-stereotypes (as well as other- and others’ meta-stereotypes) towards German-origin students reported by all three groups. However, our study is the first that supports the existence of negative meta-stereotypes (as well as other- and others’ meta-stereotypes) towards Turkish-origin adolescents, again, among all participants. This pattern was particularly pronounced regarding the dimension of subject-related German competence. We discuss the findings’ potential relevance for students’ self-concepts and intergroup interactions in classrooms.

Can immigrant school students profit from an immigrant teacher sharing their minority background? We investigate preservice teachers' (Study 1; M_age = 26.29 years; 75.2% female) and school students' (Study 2; M_age = 14.88 years; 49.9% female) perceptions of a teacher as well as immigrant school students' learning gains (Study 2) by comparing four experimental video conditions in which a female teacher with a Turkish or German name instructs school students in a task while either saying that learning gains differed (stereotype activation) or did not differ (no stereotype activation) between immigrant and non-immigrant students. Study 1 shows that preservice teachers, regardless of their own cultural background, perceived the Turkish origin teacher as less biased, even when she voiced the stereotype, and as more motivationally supportive of school students in general than the German origin teacher. Study 2 shows that in contrast, among school students, the minority teacher was not perceived as less biased than the majority teacher. Rather, immigrant school students, in particular those with Turkish roots, were more concerned than students of the German majority that the teacher—irrespective of her background—was biased. Interestingly, these differences between students from different backgrounds disappeared when the teacher said that learning gains differed between immigrant and non-immigrant students. Immigrant school students of non-Turkish backgrounds, but not Turkish origin students suffered in their learning when instructed by the Turkish origin teacher who voiced the stereotype. We discuss implications for teacher recruitment.