Teacher quality, instructional quality and student outcomes relationships across countries, cohorts and time

In this volume, five separate studies examine differing aspects of relations between teacher quality, instructional quality and learning outcomes across countries, taking into account context characteristics such as school climate. The 2007 and 2011 TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study) cycles provided the research data. These five studies cover grade four or grade eight students and their teachers, including cognitive or affective-motivational learning outcomes. The studies examined the following research questions: (1) Which relations exist between teacher quality, instructional quality and mathematics achievement in grade four across and within countries, and is it possible to identify larger world regions or clusters of countries where similar relational patterns exist? (2) Which relations exist between school climate, instructional quality, and achievement motivation in mathematics in grade eight across and within countries, and is it possible to identify larger world regions or clusters of countries where similar relational patterns exist? (3) To what extent can a causal influence of school climate and teacher quality on mathematics achievement in grade eight be identified in country-level longitudinal analyses? (4) Which relations exist between instructional quality and reading, and between instructional quality and mathematics achievement in grade four, and to what extent does instructional quality moderate the relations between reading and mathematics achievement? (5) Which relations exist between bullying and instructional quality in grade four across countries and within countries?