Influence of Perceived Teacher Acceptance, Self-Concept, and School Attitude on the Academic Achievement of School-Age Children in Turkey

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of perceived teacher acceptance, children’s self-concept, and children’s attitude toward school on children’s academic achievement. The sample included 223 fifth-grade students in Istanbul, Turkey. The Teacher Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire, Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised were utilized in data collection. Achievement was assessed by grade point average (GPA). Results showed that the perception of teacher acceptance was significantly correlated with both boys’ and girls’ positive school attitude and higher self-concept. Perceived teacher acceptance was also significantly correlated with the academic achievement of boys but not girls. Regression analysis revealed that perceived teacher acceptance and academic self-perception (one component of school attitude) were significant and independent predictors of boys’ academic achievement, but only academic self-perception significantly predicted girls’ academic achievement. The study supported the conclusion that boys’ (but not necessarily girls’) positive perceptions of teachers were an important factor in academic achievement. However, both boys and girls who perceived their teachers to be accepting tended to have a positive school attitude and a positive self-concept.