The Teacher Relationship Behaviour and Parenting Style Correlates of Students’ Scholastic Achievement at Grade Seven English

Scholastic achievements of students are determined by a number of factors such as teacher relationship behaviour, parents’ involvement and level of education, parenting styles, the students’ efforts, tutorial classes, attendance and so on. However, the question pertaining to identifying the most determinant factors is not still well addressed. In this research, students’ perceptions and report on the relationship behaviour of their English teacher, and the parenting styles practiced by their parents are tested to know if they significantly correlate to the students’ scholastic achievements of the English language at grade seven level. And the aim of this research is to describe the teacher relationship behaviour patterns as reported by the students, to identify the type of teacher relationship behaviour and the parenting style exercised at home, recommend ways of intervention, improve teacher relationship behaviour, and enhance the students’ learning achievements. A sample of 322 grade seven students were given questionnaire to fill out the teacher relationship behaviour scale to report their perception and the parenting style exercised at home, and only 210(65.2%) filled out and returned the questionnaire. To obtain the sample subjects of the study, simple random sampling technique (i.e. lottery method) was used and proportional representation for male and female students was maintained. After the data gathering, the study samples were clustered around the teacher relationship behaviour variable based on the least error variance grouping. Scholastic achievements in the English language were collected from the rosters of the sample students, who filled out the teacher relationship behaviour scale questionnaire. When data was analyzed, the teacher relationship behaviour patterns were described after clustering students around the median and quartile points, to obtain the least error variance grouping. Correlations of the scholastic achievement scores with teacher relationship behaviour variable were checked for significance. Pair wise comparison of means for teacher relationship behaviour scores was performed using t-test between each cluster scores to check for significance differences. The t-test was also used to check for significance mean differences of teacher relationship behaviour scores for male and female students. A one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out for the teacher relationship behaviour cluster scores and the identified English scores to see whether the cluster groupings were equally homogenous. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also carried out for the teacher relationship behaviour scores and for the identified English scores against the various parenting styles to check whether the cluster groups were equally homogenous. Based on the analysis, three patterns of the teacher relationship behaviour were identified. These are, the positively involved, 57(27.14%), the functional average, 101(48.09%),and the negatively involved,52(27.76%). The positively involved students scored relatively higher in their English marks as well as reported an authoritative parenting style(demanding and democratic) to be exercised at their home. In this research, gender difference was not reported for all variables measured.