The Long-Term Benefits of Highly Motivating Middle School Teachers

• In Event: Motivating Learning Settings

Abstract

Teachers are under scrutiny for their ability to influence student academic achievement. “Teacher effectiveness” research considers how much teachers influence achievement, not how they do so. We examine whether teacher effects on achievement can be explained by their influence on achievement goals. Having a teacher above the 75th percentile in value-added to mathematics achievement (d=.23), mastery goals (d=.21), or performance-approach goals (d=.21) was positively related to scores on math scores on a 10th grade high school exit exam while having a >75th percentile teacher in performance-avoidance was negatively related (d=-.14). Teacher value-added to mastery goals was also related to whether students took the highest level mathematics exam in 10th grade.

Authors

• Erik Ruzek, University of Virginia

• Thurston Domina, University of California - Irvine

• Greg Duncan, University of California - Irvine

• AnneMarie M. Conley, University of California - Irvine