Browsing by Subject "Teacher support"
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Item The relationship between student engagement and standardized test scores of middle school students: does student engagement increase academic achievement?(2012-09) Scheidler, Matthew JamesThe public education system in the United States is under increasing pressure to provide an equitable, effective, and relevant education for all students. In the United States, nearly one of every three students who begin high school does not graduate from high school, resulting in an earning gap of approximately $10,000 annually between students who graduate from high school and those who drop out of high school (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009). The potential of millions of students, as well as society at large, is threatened by the fact that more than 50% of minority students drop out of high school before they graduate, limiting their access to opportunity for the rest of their lives (Orfield, 2009). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between student engagement (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) and the standardized test scores of eighth grade students in three Wakta middle schools. A quantitative survey was used to access 8th graders` perception of their behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The engagement data was correlated to standardized test scores and demographic data for each student. Further analysis revealed increased engagement has a direct correlation to increased academic achievement. An academic achievement gap between minority students and white students exists in nearly every school district in the United States, and the Wakta school district is not immune to this educational and social reality. If our citizenry does not have the critical thinking, problem solving, or communication skills to compete in the globalized economy, jobs that would have been available to Americans will be outsourced to people who do have the requisite skills (Wagner, 2008).Item Teacher-student relationships: examining student perceptions of teacher support and positive student outcomes(2014-05) Berman-Young, Sarah B.The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between urban middle school students' perceptions of the support provided by their teachers, and student engagement, behavior, and academic success. A student self-report instrument that focused on the alterable aspects of the relationship between teachers and their adolescent students was administered to 102 middle school students and 15 teachers at an urban charter school in a large Midwestern city. The survey measured student perceptions of teacher support for competence, autonomy, and relatedness; teacher mastery goal orientation; teacher academic press; and self-reported engagement. Teacher-reported student engagement was also measured. Student outcome measures in the areas of academics and behavior were measured at the end of the school year, and student demographic variables were collected. Factor analysis revealed that two factors, Teacher Caring and Support and Teacher Press for Academic Thought were found to be the best fit for the student survey data. Both of these factors were significantly correlated with student- and teacher-ratings of student engagement. Teacher Press for Academic Thought was found to be a significant predictor of students' assignment to enrichment detention as well as students' reading test scores. Teacher-Rated Engagement was found to mediate the effect of Teacher Caring and Support on Enrichment Detention, the effect of Teacher Press for Academic Thought on Enrichment Detention, and the effect of Teacher Press for Academic Thought on reading test scores. Student-rated engagement was not found to mediate the effect of the independent variables on any of the student outcome variables. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.