Teacher characteristics and parental support as determinants of learners’ quality school participation

Abstract

Education at the grade level depends not only on teachers’ efforts in the classroom but also on contributions from other stakeholders, such as parents and peers. Although many studies have examined how the characteristics of teachers and parents influence students’ academic achievement, there is a notable lack of research on how these characteristics affect students’ participation in school activities, which ultimately impacts learning outcomes. This study addresses that gap using data from the 2023 cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). It focuses on how teachers’ professional development, teacher-student interactions, and parental involvement influence students’ engagement with home and school academic assignments. A six-construct structural equation model was developed and tested, yielding a Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR) of 0.101 and an R² of 0.85. The results indicated that parental support (β=0.026, t=8.855, p<0.05), teacher-student interaction (β=0.040, t=8.312, p<0.05), and teachers’ professional development (β=0.011, t=3.279, p<0.05) significantly contributed to the quality of students’ participation in school. These findings highlight the importance of collaboration between teachers and parents in early childhood education. Therefore, policies that strengthen the partnership between teachers and parents in early childhood education should be encouraged. This study also contributes to scholarship by using TIMSS 2023 data and structural equation modelling to show that teacher characteristics and parental support jointly predict learners’ quality school participation beyond academic achievement.