Links Between Teachers’ Liking of Students, Peer Inclusion, and Students’ Academic Achievement: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study

Students who are more liked by their teachers tend to be included by their peers and to perform successfully at school. Yet, very little is known whether peer inclusion can mediate the effect of teachers’ liking of students on students’ academic achievement. Teachers from Grades 5 and 6 reported their liking of each student and academic achievement (N = 1209; 49% females), whereas peers rated the inclusion of classmates. Results from a multilevel growth curve model revealed that, only at the individual level, higher values of peer inclusion mediated the association between teachers’ liking of students and academic achievement over time. This study provides new insights into the complex associations between teachers’ liking of students and academic achievement during early adolescence.