Relationships between self-concept, self-efficacy, classroom atmosphere and mathematics achievement of Iranian high school students

Abstract

This research studied the level of achievement in mathematics by concentrating on the role of classroom atmosphere on Iranian high school students. Self-efficacy is the key element in this study which relates individual’s conception of his/her ability to a particular task. Self-efficacy is one of the factors affecting mathematical performance. Mathematics is one of the subjects to assess educational performance and prospective occupation.This research was based on quantitative methodology using a survey for a correlational study. Random sampling technique was used to select 400 respondents among students of Tehran, Iran. The research investigated the relationship between self-concept, classroom atmosphere, selfefficacy and achievement in mathematics of Iranian high school students. The study examined the significant difference between the achievements in mathematics among male and female high school students, and the good fit of the structural model. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 22.0) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS version 22.0). A separate two-tailed ttest was used to calculate the difference between the utilized scales in the Iranian sample. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the goodness of fit of the model by studying the relationships among the variables. The goodness of fit of the statistic value indicated that the Chi-square [x2 (N= 400, df = 86) = 273.235] was significant at p = .000; cmin/df= 3.177 (good because it is less than 5). Comparative Fix Index (CFI) =. 911was very good, because it is more than .95, reflecting a good fit. Furthermore, the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = .074 was acceptable. The results of this study showed that the learning environment can influence the level of students’ mathematics learning, and showed that self-efficacy, self-concept, and classroom atmosphere influenced the learning of mathematics. The results also confirmed the validity (factorial validity) of the hypothesized models. The findings of the study also showed that the roles of learning class atmosphere, self concept, and self- efficacy mathematics for learning are crucial, and teachers are recommended to pay attention to these aspects of learning. The study has validated the achievement in mathematics based on self – concept, self-efficacy, and the classroom atmosphere hypothesized model.