Trajectory subgroups of perceived emotional support from teachers: Associations with change in mastery climate and intentions to quit upper secondary school

Maren Stabel Tvedt,Tuomo E Virtanen,Edvin Bru

doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101562

Maren Stabel Tvedt, Tuomo E Virtanen + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101562

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Abstract

The aims of this three-wave longitudinal study were to identify and describe trajectories of perceived emotional support from teachers and investigate whether these trajectories were related to the development of intentions to quit upper secondary school via change in perceived mastery climate. Among 1379 Norwegian upper secondary school students, three trajectory subgroups were identified: stable high (84.9%), decreasing (7.8%), and low increasing (7.3%). The subgroups differed in levels of achievement ambition and academic self-concept. Further, a parallel process latent growth curve model revealed essential associations with change in intentions to quit school. Specifically, students with high probabilities of membership in the decreasing emotional support subgroup appeared to be at particular risk, perceiving a decrease in mastery climate that was related to a worrying development of intentions to quit school. The results are discussed considering the importance of a sustained supportive learning environment for late adolescents.

Highlights

The extent to which students feel emotionally supported by teachers who they can trust, who care about them, and who signal confidence in students’ ability to realize their learning potential (Pianta et al, 2012; Wentzel, 2015) is regarded one of the most important characteristics of a supportive educational context (Eccles & Roeser, 2009)
The present study provides detailed knowledge regarding the diversity in students’ trajectories of perceived emotional support from teachers, including whether possible trajectory subgroups differ in achievement ambitions and academic self-concept, as well as the extent to which subgroup membership is associated with change in intentions to quit school
This study investigated trajectory subgroups of perceived emotional support from teachers, student characteristics across subgroups, and whether membership in trajectory subgroups was indirectly associated with change in in tentions to quit school via change in perceived mastery climate

Summary

Introduction

The extent to which students feel emotionally supported by teachers who they can trust, who care about them, and who signal confidence in students’ ability to realize their learning potential (Pianta et al, 2012; Wentzel, 2015) is regarded one of the most important characteristics of a supportive educational context (Eccles & Roeser, 2009). The present study provides detailed knowledge regarding the diversity in students’ trajectories of perceived emotional support from teachers, including whether possible trajectory subgroups differ in achievement ambitions and academic self-concept, as well as the extent to which subgroup membership is associated with change in intentions to quit school. Based on previous work that emphasized motivational benefits of a mastery climate in class (Urdan & Kaplan, 2020; Patrick et al, 2011) and how an emotionally supportive teacher is crucial for establishing such climate (Ames, 1992), potential associations with change in intentions to quit were theorized to be indirect, via change in perceived mastery climate. Individual background variables, previously documented as predictors of dropout intentions and behavior (i.e., gender, study track, and prior GPA; Battin-Pearson et al, 2000; Tvedt et al, 2021a), were accounted for in the structural models

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