Abstract:
A study involving 23 Hunter Region schools, 70 teachers and classes, and 749 Year 11 students incorporated a range of variables at these three levels, including a measure of academic success which was formed as a more inclusive concept than simply achievement scores. The Academic Success concept, developed by means of a LISREL one-factor congeneric model, was a weighted composite of teachers' ratings and the student's own rating of their ability compared with other students at the same year level, two measures of academic achievement level, and intention for post-school study. A three-level analysis using MLn at school, teacher/class and student levels, including a range of explanatory variables, indicated substantial effects on student performance at both the student and teacher/class levels. School-level effects were minimal. Specific variables found to be related to academic success included student feelings of efficacy in learning, satisfaction with results, teacher engagement and class commitment to learning.