Teacher perceptions of student motivation and engagement: longitudinal associations with student outcomes

• Published in: European journal of psychology of education Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 1397 - 1420
• Main Authors: Brandmiller, Cornelius, Schnitzler, Katharina, Dumont, Hanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Classrooms; Cognitive ability; Education; Educational objectives; Educational Psychology; Elementary School Students; Grade 1; Grade 5; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning Motivation; Learning Processes; Mathematics Education; Motivation; Observational studies; Outcomes of Education; Pedagogic Psychology; Perceptions; Prophecies; Reading; Reading Achievement; Student Motivation; Student participation; Student teacher relationship; Students; Teacher attitudes; Teacher Expectations of Students; Teachers; Engagement; Teacher perceptions; Teacher expectations; Student achievement; Motivation
• ISSN: 0256-2928; 1878-5174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-023-00741-1

Studies have shown that teacher perceptions of student achievement influence teacher-student interactions, subsequently affecting student outcomes. However, teachers may also take note of and respond to the motivation and engagement of their students in a differential way, which could affect student outcomes as well. In the present study, we thus examined whether teacher perceptions of student motivation and engagement predict student achievement and self-reported motivation and engagement in reading and maths over several school years. Analysing longitudinal data from N  = 2402 students and their teachers, we found that teacher perceptions of student motivation and engagement in Grade 5 were significantly related to student achievement in reading 1 year later and in maths 1, 2, and 3 years later. An association with student motivation and engagement was only found for maths 1 year later.