TREATED AS A BACKGROUND CONCERN: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF TEACHER–STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS AS A BIDIRECTIONAL MEDIATOR OF ADHD OUTCOMES IN PRIMARY CLASSROOMS

Mark Stuart McInnes

Abstract


This critique examines ten recent studies on teacher–student relationships (TSR) in the context of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in primary school classrooms, addressing the extent to which the literature accounts for TSR's simultaneous influence on student outcomes and teacher wellbeing. While the reviewed research consistently establishes that TSR quality predicts academic, behavioural and emotional outcomes for students with ADHD, most studies treat teacher wellbeing as an explanatory background variable rather than a co-equal concern. Only a minority of articles, notably DeShazer et al. (2023), Aldabbagh et al. (2024a, 2024b) and Tavlin et al. (2025), frame teacher stress and burnout as outcomes in their own right. The critique further identifies a theoretical gap: although several studies gesture toward a bidirectional, cyclical relationship between ADHD behaviour and teacher stress, none model this cycle as a unified system. These findings expose a disconnect between strong outcome evidence and limited practice-based evidence for building sustainable TSR.

Keywords


teacher–student relationships; ADHD; teacher wellbeing; inclusive education; classroom behaviour management

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v12i7.6997

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