Using a transactional framework, this study explored social relationships in the classroom as mediators of the association between ethnic-racial identity and academic-related outcomes. Participants were 101 fifth graders of diverse backgrounds who completed computer-based questionnaires about their friendships, ethnic-racial identity, and academic engagement. Teachers reported on closeness in their student-teacher relationships. Relationships in the expected direction were evident; positive associations were observed among public regard dimensions of ethnic-racial identity and cognitive engagement in the classroom. Correlational analyses demonstrated higher friendship quality was associated with cognitive engagement, indicating more self-regulated and strategic approaches to learning for both boys and girls. Further, path analyses revealed that the relationship between public regard and cognitive engagement was mediated by student-teacher closeness for the whole sample. Gender differences were evident; for boys, public regard was related indirectly to language arts and math grades through cognitive engagement whereas for girls this indirect effect was not present. Findings highlight the varied contribution of ethnic-racial identity and classroom relationships on achievement-related outcomes, particularly for boys.
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