Foundation of Well-Being: A General Review of Teacher-Pupils Relationship in Early Development
Keywords:
Teacher-Student Relationships; Mental Well-Being; Narrative Review; Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs; Mental Health ProgramsAbstract
This narrative review explores the vital role of teacher-pupil relationships in supporting children's mental health, presenting key theories and research evidence alongside practical methods. While conducting a narrative review, the paper underscores the urgency of developing effective educational interventions, particularly in light of recent statistics indicating that at least 20% of children globally face mental health challenges as reported by Mental Health Foundation (2020). The paper attempt to analyzes evidence-based strategies, which have proven effective in fostering positive teacher-student relationships and improving mental health outcomes across diverse educational settings. Using Narrative review, the study able to highlights various global programs that improve teacher-student relationships, social-emotional development, and mental health, such as Key2Teach, Banking Time, and the Incredible Years Teacher Program, which enhance emotional bonds and reduce behavioral issues. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs such as The Pyramid Model, CASEL, and KidsMatter promote emotional intelligence and coping skills, leading to better emotional resilience and school environments. Furthermore, anti-bullying initiatives such as KiVa focus on reducing bullying and fostering positive school climates, all contributing to stronger teacher-student connections and improved mental health. These programs enhance the teacher-student bonding and contribute to a positive school environment. The findings provide practical guidance for educators and policymakers, offering recommendations for enhancing children's mental health and creating supportive, nurturing learning environments worldwide.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.5.14
References
Al-Zawaadi, A., Hesso, I., & Kayyali, R. (2021). Mental Health Among School-Going Adolescents in Greater London: A Cross-Sectional Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.592624
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1993). The ecology of cognitive development: Research models and fugitive findings. In R. H. Wozniak & K. W. Fischer (Eds.), Development in context: Acting and thinking in specific environments (pp. 3–44). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review of General Psychology, 1(3), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.1.3.311
CASEL. (2022). Fundamentals of SEL. CASEL. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/
Dabrowski, A., Hsien, M., Van, T., & Ahmed, S. K. (2025). “We are left to fend for ourselves”: understanding why teachers struggle to support students’ mental health. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1505077
DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families). (2007). Social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme: Guidance for schools. Department for Children, Schools and Families. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/10800/1/SEAL_intro_booklet_Redacted.pdf
El Zaatari, W., & Maalouf, I. (2022). How the Bronfenbrenner Bio-ecological System Theory explains the development of students’ sense of belonging to school? SAGE Open, 12(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221134089
Fenizia, E., & Parrello, S. (2025). School Trust and Sense of Belonging: Restoring Bonds and Promoting Well-Being in Schools. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(4), 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph220400498
Gao, F., Xu, C., Qing Lv, Zhao, Y., & Han, L. (2024). Parent-child communication and educational anxiety: a longitudinal analysis based on the common fate model. BMC Psychology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02093-x
Green, B. N., Johnson, C. D., & Adams, A. (2006). Writing narrative literature reviews for peer-reviewed journals: Secrets of the trade. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 5(3), 101–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0899-3467(07)60142-6
Gunawardena, H., Leontini, R., Nair, S., Cross, S., & Hickie, I. (2024). Teachers as first responders: classroom experiences and mental health training needs of Australian schoolteachers. BMC Public Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17599-z
Halladay, J., Bennett, K., Weist, M., Boyle, M., Manion, I., Campo, M., & Georgiades, K. (2020). Teacher-student relationships and mental health help seeking behaviors among elementary and secondary students in Ontario Canada. Journal of School Psychology, 81, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2020.05.003
Herman, K. C., Borden, L. A., Reinke, W. M., & Webster-Stratton, C. (2011). The impact of the Incredible Years parent, child, and teacher training programs on children’s co-occurring internalizing symptoms. School Psychology Quarterly, 26(3), 189–201. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025228
Hoogendijk, K., & Holland, J. G. (2020). Effect of Key2Teach on Dutch teachers' relationships with students with externalizing problem behavior. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 28(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363275219878463
Jardinez, M. J., & Natividad, L. R. (2024). The Advantages and Challenges of Inclusive Education: Striving for Equity in the Classroom. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 12(2), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v12i2.7182
Nikupeteri, A., Laitinen, M., & Kallinen, K. (2022). Children’s Sense of Belonging in the Context of Post-separation Parental Stalking: Finnish Children’s Experiences of their Family Relations. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-022-00494-x
Rathakrishnan, B., Bikar Singh, S. S., & Yahaya, A. (2022). Perceived Social Support, Coping Strategies and Psychological Distress among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploration Study for Social Sustainability in Sabah, Malaysia. Sustainability, 14(6), 3250. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063250
Salter, D., Neelakandan, A., & Wuthrich, V. M. (2024). Anxiety and teacher-student
relationships in secondary school: A systematic literature review. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-024-01665-7
Tang, L., Xiang, X., & Liu, Y. (2024). Family migration and well-being of Chinese migrant workers’ children. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63589-5
The Pyramid Model: Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. (2024, March 1). www.vic.gov.au. https://www.vic.gov.au/pyramid-model-supporting-social-emotional-competence-infants-and-young-children
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Valdebenito, S., McNeish, D., & Gaffney, H. (2022). Positive affect in teacher-child relationships and its impact on student well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(2), 67-78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-01972-0
World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health of adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nurul Khairani Ismail, Suziyani Mohamed, Nur Syafiqah Yaccob, Khairul Farhah Khairudin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
