School characteristics and instructional quality: How school characteristics affect teachers' instructional quality and motivation

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Doris Holzberger
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 336226300

Schools are supposed to support the instructional quality in schools. Instructional quality, however, is determined primarily by teacher and student characteristics. In the present study, we intend to analyze how school characteristics predict instructional quality and how teacher motivation may mediate this relationship. In particular, we examine how teachers engagement (as one motivational characteristic) and their instructional quality differs across schools and whether school characteristics predict instructional quality directly or mediated by teachers' engagement. Finally, we investigate possible person-environment interactions between teachers, schools and teachers instructional quality. To answer the research questions, we re-analyze data from the PISA-2003 study, in which 1939 math and science teachers reported their level of engagement, instructional quality (classroom management, teacher-student-relationship, cognitive activation) and their perceptions of school characteristics (e.g., teacher collaboration, leadership behavior). Moreover, 198 principals were asked to evaluate the school characteristics as well. Doubly-latent models will be analyzed to address the multi-level structure of the data. The results will inform research about how school characteristics should be included when teachers instructional quality and motivational characteristics are investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Andrew Ho