Teaching quality and student reading outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study from grade 5 to 7

The literature on the effects of teaching behavior on student competence and motivation has primarily focused on single teaching facets, with limited attention to multiple components simultaneously. To address this gap, this study examined a model of teaching and learning by investigating 10 teaching quality components reported by both students and teachers. The study used a sample of 3067 students in 150 schools in Germany and regressed reading competence and attitudes towards reading in grade 7 on these 10 variables. The study controlled for prior reading competence and attitudes towards reading in grade 5, as well as other student background characteristics, and estimated school-fixed effects. The results did not identify significant associations between the investigated teaching quality components and the reading competence and attitudes towards reading measures when considered simultaneously in one model, after taking into account previous competence and attitudes. The study discusses limitations and implications of these findings.