Teacher Effectiveness and Student Engagement in Secondary Education

Abstract

Teacher effectiveness and student engagement are important factors in secondary education. Students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement is influenced by teacher support, feedback, classroom management, clear explanations, and positive teacher–student relationships. This paper reviews recent research using peer-reviewed studies and international evidence from OECD TALIS and PISA. The findings show that effective teacher support is associated with stronger student engagement, better academic performance, higher self-efficacy, stronger school belonging, and lower mathematics anxiety. A 2024 meta-analysis of 141 studies involving 525,129 students also reported a positive relationship between teacher support and school engagement. Other factors affecting engagement include school climate, academic workload, course difficulty, safety, peer relationships, and socio-economic support. The study suggests that improving teaching practices, communication, feedback, and teacher–student relationships can strengthen student engagement in secondary schools.