The effects of teacher competence on student outcomes in elementary science education: The mediating role of teaching quality

“Cognitive constructs comprise teachers’ professional knowledge (Shulman, 1986) and beliefs (Fives & Buehl, 2012; Fives & Gill, 2015; Mansour, 2009), both of which have been widely discussed, especially in the field of science education.”

“The measurement framework is grounded in key situational extracts related to teacher ‐ student interaction from prior research (Lazarides et al. 2018; Fauth et al. 2019; Passini et al. 2015) and encompasses three core questions: TSI1: discussing professional knowledge with teachers in the…”

“One factor that significantly affects the quality of education is the competence of teachers (Fauth et al., 2019; Glaesser, 2019).”

“A positive work atmosphere, teamwork, and support from colleagues can increase teacher (Fauth et al., 2019; Lutfah et al., 2019; Asaloei et al., 2020).”

“…& Uluçinar Sagir, 2016; Anderson & Clark, 2012; Appleton, 2008; Attorps & Kellner, 2017; Aydin & Mihladiz Turhan, 2023; Chordnork & Yuenyong, 2014; Fauth et al., 2019; Hanuscin et al., 2018; Kang et al., 2018; Masters & Park Rogers, 2018; Mikeska et al., 2021; Oh & Kim, 2013; Soysal, 2018; Walan…”

“…desafíos dado que en las últimas décadas la investigación educativa parece consensuar que la calidad de la docencia es un factor determinante en la mejora de los sistemas educativos (Bruns y Lucke, 2014; Fauth et al., 2019; Hattie, 2009; Lee, 2018; Rivkin et al., 2005; Vaillant y Marcelo, 2015).”

“Fauth et. al.”

“The link between teacher competence and student achievement across educational settings has been consistently emphasized (Blömeke et al., 2022; Fauth et al., 2019; Torres, 2020).”

“Teaching strategies play a crucial role in creating effective learning environments that make students more interested (Fauth et al ., 2019; Howard et al ., 2021; Yurtseven Avci et al ., 2020; Wardani et al ., 2023).”

“Teachers must have two types of competence in order to satisfy their high professional requirements and expand the concept of teacher competence: cognitive and motivating [14].”

“Sa pag-aaral ni Fauth et al. (2019) tungkol sa mga pagkakamali at maling pagtutugma sa proseso ng edukasyon ay nagpakita na ang oryentasyon sa pag-aaral pati na rin ang motibasyon ng mga mag-aaral at positibong mga bunga ng pag-aaral ay lubhang naapektuhan ng pagkakamali sa materyal ng pag-aaral.”

“Beberapa penelitian mengenai instructional quality seperti penelitian Atlay et al. (2019); Fauth et al. (2019); Lazarides et al. (2021); dan Lazarides & Buchholz (2019) menggunakan metode survei kuesioner kepada siswa dalam pengumpulan data.”

“There are several direct and indirect factors that can impact classroom participation during teaching, including learning materials, teacher-student interaction, student attitudes toward learning, changes in teacher demeanor, and digital environmental factors [10, 47, 52].”

“This is in line with previous opinions saying that the quality of the teacher’s classroom management influences the behavior and relationships of the students and the teachers (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“According to Fauth et al. (2019), the chemistry teachers’ competencies would include pedagogical content knowledge, self-motivation, and passion towards the teaching profession.”

“…atau tidak tentang materi yang dibawakan guru tersebut yang dibantu dengan media pembelajaran seperti halnya menggunakan proyektor atau LCD. Fauth et al., (2019) kompetensi guru adalah kerangka kerja yang menggambarkan kualitas individu yang harus dimiliki untuk memenuhi tanggung jawabnya…”

“Fauth et al. (2019) emphasize that having pedagogical competence is crucial to influence students’ interest in learning and culminating in increasing students’ academic achievement.”

“In addition, it is expected that all teachers have skills in preparing innovative and creative teaching materials [2]–[4] so that they can improve the students’ competence based on the curriculum, the development of student needs, and the development of information technology [5], [6].”

“Researchers (Fauth et al., 2019; Kulgemeyer & Riese, 2018) posited that there is a significant influence of Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) on the quality of teaching.”

“Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam (IPA) sering kali menjadi alternatif dalam menstimulasi wawasan budaya dan hasil belajar siswa secara holistik (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“In addition, students’ interest to learn was significantly impacted by the quality of the instruction given by the educators (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“The student's conceptualized as a “knowledge recipient”, teacher as a direct transmission of knowledge to them (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Finally, Fauth [15] investigated the effects of teacher competence on student outcomes in elementary science education focusing on mediating role of teaching quality.”

“This finding is consistent with previous research showing positive relationship of science literacy with classroom management (Fauth et al. 2019) and teacher support (Lipowsky et al.”

“Achieving these goals largely depends on teacher quality, as teachers' competence directly influences students' learning outcomes and overall educational quality (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Kunter et al. (2013) and Fauth et al. (2019) have shown that teachers ’ professional effectiveness, expressed through knowledge and motivation, is an important determinant of teaching quality; the specialized demands of Kumon-oriented teaching accordingly call for a dedicated assessment of teacher…”

“Empirical research indicates that teachers’ professional knowledge, motivational orientations, and instructional practices influence the quality of classroom processes and learning outcomes (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“…high-quality instruction is typically described along three critical dimensions — classroom management, an affective/supportive climate, and cognitive activation — which together capture organizational, emotional, and instructional support for learning (Anselmann et al., 2025; Fauth et al., 2019).”

“For example, Fauth et al. (2019) discover that teachers with higher competency in science-related subjects give better instruction, which significantly improves student engagement and learning results.”

“Collectively, Fauth et al. [55] and Hanushek et al. [56] converge in demonstrating that strong teacher content knowledge, rather than merely procedural competency, mediates student learning outcomes and cognitive performance, suggesting that investment in GASING-style training is likely to yield…”

“Even though teacher competence showed lower score than facility fulfillment (0.345 in R 2 ), the role of teacher is well-known to be inseparable as competent teachers might promote quality teaching and this is the cause why student academic achievement (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Additionally, Fauth et al. (2019) identified that both content knowledge and pedagogical skills independently and interactively predict instructional quality and student outcomes.”

“This positive cross-sectional relation correlates with previous studies (e.g., Fackler et al., 2021; Fauth et al., 2019; Kim & Seo, 2018).”

“The dominant role of pedagogical competence is also consistent with evidence from elementary science education, which shows that teacher competence affects student outcomes through teaching quality, particularly cognitive activation, a supportive climate, and classroom management [27].”

“Studies have shown that instructional quality mediates the relationship between teachers’ professional competence and students’ learning outcomes, and that classroom organization and instructional structure directly influence students’ science learning outcomes (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“There is also a relationship between a teacher’s self-efficacy in science and their students’ enthusiasm and confidence in learning the subject (Denessen et al., 2015; Fauth et al., 2019).”

“The combination of effective supervision and skilled teaching creates an environment that promotes academic success (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Previous studies have shown that the quality of PE learning, teacher competence, and the quality of training programmes have a direct influence on students' athletic achievements (Dejan et al., 2024; Fauth et al., 2019).”

“First, many previous studies have relied primarily on variable-centered approaches, such as regression or structural equation modeling, to examine relationships among teaching-related variables (Fauth et al., 2019; Praetorius et al., 2018).”

“Simultaneously, the exercise demonstrates our competency in pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman 1987; Blömeke 2017; Fauth et al. 2019), as we were able to design, organize, and deliver content that facilitates ethical reasoning and epistemological inquiry — key goals in shaping 21st-century…”

“Teachers possessing robust pedagogical competence demonstrate enhanced capacity to design and execute effective instruction (Fauth et al., 2019; Kunter et al., 2013), while school committees function as strategic partners in supporting educational policies and programs.”

“Temuan ini mendukung penelitian Kunter et al. (2013) dan Fauth et al. (2019) yang menunjukkan bahwa kompetensi pedagogik guru, termasuk pedagogical content knowledge dan kemampuan merancang pembelajaran, berkorelasi positif dengan kualitas instruksional dan hasil belajar siswa.”

“Research has shown a strong connection between student achievement and teacher self-efficacy (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“The study extends previous research on teacher competence effects on student outcomes (Fauth et al., 2019; Blömeke et al., 2022) by illuminating the mechanisms through which professional development influences instructional quality.”

“Empirical evidence shows that teacher competence relates to student outcomes and that teaching quality plays an important mediating role in this relationship (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“In primary schools, the quality of teaching in general and integrated teaching in particular is strongly influenced and determined by teachers [16], [17].”

“Persistent issues include low conceptual understanding, entrenched misconceptions, and limited differentiation in instruction [7] [8] [9] [10].”

“A qualitative descriptive approach is appropriate when the goal is to provide a detailed, straightforward account of participants’ learning processes, misconceptions, and reasoning patterns without imposing interpretive theoretical frameworks (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Temuan ini juga sejalan dengan penelitian internasional oleh Fauth et al. (2019) yang menunjukkan bahwa kualitas pengajaran memediasi hubungan antara kompetensi guru dan hasil belajar siswa.”

“…further underscores the importance of effective teaching practices, as competent teachers can enhance engagement, motivation, and understanding through tailored instructional strategies (Decano et al., 2021; Fauth et al., 2019b; Aker & Ellis, 2019; Steidtmann et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2017).”

“However, such differences are small and should not be overemphasized in policy or curriculum design 3.5 Regional Differences Regional differences in PCK may reflect disparities in training resources, institutional quality, and local policies [25], [26], [27].”

“Different scholars have explored the association between teachers' level of knowledge and its impact on students' performance (e.g., Metzler & Woessmann, 2012; Sadler et al., 2013; Fauth et al., 2019).”

“Fauth et al. (2019) found that there is a strong relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement.”

“Menurut penelitian lain juga menunjukkan bahwa efektivitas pengajaran tidak hanya bergantung pada kompetensi profesional tetapi juga pada pendekatan pedagogis yang relevan dengan kebutuhan siswa (Depaepe & König, 2018; Fauth et al., 2019; Zeller et al., 2024).”

“Supportive climate also referred to as a student-centred approach (Rothland, 2024), encompasses aspects of the teacher – student relationship, including teacher feedback, a positive approach to mistakes and caring behaviour on the part of the teacher (Fauth et al., 2019).”

“The result is consistent with the previous research stating that academic motivation indirectly influences student engagement (Fauth et al., 2019).”