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

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.