Measuring teacher practices and student academic engagement: A convergent validity study

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Classroom Management
• Instructional Strategies

Background:

• Teacher effectiveness is crucial for student academic engagement.
• Assessing teacher practices requires reliable and valid measurement tools.
• Evidence-based practices in instruction and behavior management are key.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the convergent validity of observer ratings of teacher practices using the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS).
• To determine if CSAS scores predict student academic engagement, measured by the Cooperative Learning Observational Code for Kids (CLOCK).
• To investigate the unique contributions of instructional and behavior management practices to student engagement.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 107 teachers and 2,000 students in urban elementary schools.
• Observer ratings of teacher practices were collected using the CSAS.
• Student academic engagement was measured using the CLOCK, assessing attention and participation.

Main Results:

• CSAS scores for instruction and behavior management were positively associated with student academic engagement.
• Multiple linear regression indicated that instructional practice scores uniquely predicted student engagement.
• Behavior management practice scores did not significantly predict student engagement in this study.

Conclusions:

• Observer ratings of teacher instructional practices, assessed via CSAS, show convergent validity with student academic engagement.
• High-quality instruction is a significant predictor of student attention and participation.
• Further research should explore the nuanced relationship between behavior management strategies and student engagement.