Perceived teacher factors in relation to students’ achievement-related outcomes in science classrooms in elementary school

Gonul Sakiz

doi:10.30935/scimath/9426

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the roles that perceived teacher affective support (PTAS), perceived teacher mastery goal orientation (PTMGO), academic emotions, self‐efficacy and behavioural engagement play on students’ science achievement in elementary school science classrooms. The potential relations of different levels of perceived teacher factors with students’ achievement‐related outcomes were also investigated. A total of 138 fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students in Istanbul, Turkey were participated in the study. The data was analysed using hierarchical regression, univariate and post hoc analyses. Findings showed that PTAS, academic anxiety and academic self‐efficacy were the significant predictors of students’ science achievement in elementary school classrooms, controlling for gender and grade level. Students grouped in High PTAS/High PTMGO outperformed students in other groups and reported significantly greater sense of belonging, higher academic enjoyment, lower academic anxiety, greater academic self‐ efficacy and behavioural engagement and received higher science grades compared to students grouped in Low PTAS/Low PTMGO. Implications for research and school practice are discussed.

Highlights

IntroductionStudents’ psychological satisfaction and motivation have received rare attention from educators for years
In learning environments, students’ psychological satisfaction and motivation have received rare attention from educators for years
The results showed that perceived teacher affective support (PTAS) significantly positively related to seventh‐ and eighth‐grade students’ sense of belonging, academic enjoyment, academic hopelessness, academic self‐efficacy and academic effort in mathematics classrooms

Summary

Introduction

Students’ psychological satisfaction and motivation have received rare attention from educators for years. Shows that the contextual characteristics and, especially, the psychological and motivational climate of classrooms influence students’ learning behaviours, goal orientations, self‐beliefs, attributions, strategy use, academic and social motivation, emotional functioning and academic achievement in various academic fields throughout different developmental levels (Ames, 1992; Boekaerts, 2002; Linenbrink & Pintrich, 2002; Meyer & Turner, 2002; Patrick & Middleton, 2002; Perry & VandeKamp, 2000; Roeser, Eccles, & Sameroff, 1998; Stipek et al, 1998). The impacts of different levels of perceived teacher factors on students’ emotional, motivational and academic functioning in science classrooms were investigated

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