COMPARING THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-REPORTED TEACHING PRACTICES ON THIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS WHOSE HOME LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH

Abstract

This research was conducted in response to the increased attention given to connecting teacher evaluations to student achievement. The literature review identifies the effective teaching practices and teacher attitudes that are consistently associated with academic achievement. Self-reported teaching practices (SRTP) from the ECLS-K were then tested for similar effects on achievement and for invariance across two language groups: students whose primary home language is English and students who are English language learners (ELLs). Through use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), approximately 13,000 third grade students and their teachers were tested. The findings demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the teachers' attitude (TA) and their quality of teaching, based upon teachers' self-reported teaching practices (SRTP). The effect sizes of TA on SRTP was β = .23 for English-first speakers (approaching strong) and β = .33 for ELLs (strong); these effects were invariant across groups. Teacher Attitude mediated the influence of working condition's (WC) on SRTP for both language groups (β = .16 for English and β = .20 for ELLs). The influence of SRTP on achievement (third grade reading scores) was not statistically significant from zero for either language group. Family Background's (socioeconomic status - SES) influence was non-invariant on both reading results. Its influence on 1st grade reading (previous achievement - PA) was stronger for ELLs (β = .48 vs. β = .41) But SES influence was stronger for English-first students (β = .21 vs. β = .18) in third grade reading. PA mediated the effects of family background (SES) on academic achievement (3rd Grade Reading) for both language groups. Working conditions strongly influenced teacher attitude (β = .70/.60) for native English speakers and ELLs, respectively. This study has shown that teachers' attitude toward themselves and their students are important mediating variables between working conditions and SRTP. What this study did not show, however, is that self-reported teaching practices influence academic achievement.