The relationship between teacher–student relationship and chemistry achievement: a chain mediation model

The teacher–student relationship is a crucial environmental factor influencing students’ academic development; however, the specific mechanisms through which it affects chemistry achievement remain unclear. While existing research affirms the importance of the teacher–student relationship, empirical evidence remains particularly scarce concerning the chain pathway through which it influences students’ interest in chemistry and their academic engagement in the subject, ultimately affecting their achievements in chemistry. This study aimed to develop and test a chain mediation model to examine this pathway. Data were collected from 678 junior and senior high school students, including measures of chemistry achievement, teacher–student relationships, interest in chemistry, and chemistry academic engagement. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the direct and indirect effects. The results indicated that: (1) closeness in the teacher–student relationship had a significant positive direct effect on chemistry achievement. (2) Low conflict in the teacher–student relationship had a significant negative direct effect on chemistry achievement, but could indirectly promote chemistry achievement through students’ interest in chemistry. (3) For both dimensions of the teacher–student relationship (closeness and low conflict), a significant chain mediating effect was identified, following the pathway “teacher–student relationship → interest in chemistry → chemistry academic engagement → chemistry achievement”. These findings suggest that chemistry educators should prioritize fostering close relationships with students, effectively managing conflicts within teacher–student relationships, and ultimately enhancing achievement by cultivating students’ interest and engagement in chemistry.