Development and Validation of the Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Abstract

Development and validation of the 14-item Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) is described. The TSRI is a self-report measure assessing teacher perceptions of the quality of their relationship with students from Grade 4 through junior high school. In Study 1, findings from exploratory factor analysis provided evidence for a 3-factor solution (Satisfaction, Instrumental Help, Conflict) for the scores from the TSRI. Preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity of TSRI scores was also reported. In Study 2, results from confirmatory factor analysis provided additional support for results obtained from Study 1. High internal consistency estimates for TSRI scores from both studies were obtained. Initial evidence of predictive validity for TSRI scores was also presented. TSRI scores show promise as a reliable and potentially valid measure of the quality of teacher-student relationships.