The impact of teacher achievement emotions on the co-production of education services

Abstract

Educational policy in the United States has evolved into a more intense system of accountability, resulting in an intensification of achievement emotions experienced by teachers. Two theoretical paradigms were used to analyze whether such emotions impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom: the control-value theory of achievement emotions and the theory of co-production. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model of teacher effectiveness. Two of the four hypothesized factors contributing to teacher achievement emotions, perceived level of control over instruction and perceived levels of student achievement, were found to be significant. The remaining two variables, attribution of responsibility for student achievement and the correlation between teachers' values and educational reforms, were non-significant. The post-hoc model removed these two non-significant factors and added additional paths from the variable teachers' perceived control to teacher's coping response and teacher effectiveness. The post-hoc model fit the data well as demonstrated by significant path.and goodness of fit scores. The path model was transferable across the study's demographic subgroups with the exception of experience level. Modifications were made to the post-hoc model for this subgroup by addressing paths to the coping response variable, and such changes resulted in a significant fit to the data for this subgroup. The results of this study underscore the need for teachers to feel in control of their teaching in order to implement effective teaching strategies. Therefore, educational policies that diminish or remove such control may impact teacher effectiveness Under No Child Left Behind legislation, schools labeled as failing progressively remove more and more control from the teacher. The findings of this study indicate that such practices may be counterproductive and instead may be contributing to the problem of undesired student achievement levels. Enhancing teachers' feelings of self-efficacy in the classroom is recommended for enhancing student achievement, as is looking at the issue through the lens of co-production. Co-production of education services posits that education is co-produced by the teacher and the student. Effective reforms in education, therefore, must address both sides of the teacher-student nexus.