Students' Big Three Personality Traits, Perceptions of Teacher Interpersonal Behavior, and Mathematics Achievement: An Application of the Model of Reciprocal Causation

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the application of the Model of Reciprocal Causation (MRC) in examining the relationship between student personality (personal factors), student-perceived teacher interpersonal behavior (environment), and Mathematics achievement (behavior), with the simultaneous investigation of mediating effects and bidirectional relationships. The sample consisted of 317 Cypriot students and their 19 teachers. The relationship among the three constructs was examined using structural equation modeling. Results supported the mediating role of student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior in the personality–achievement relationship, and the unidirectional effect between student perceptions and achievement, with perceptions affecting achievement. Overall, the study demonstrated that the MRC provides a comprehensive and dynamic framework for examining the role of classroom interactions, student personal characteristics, and achievement. Implications for research and educational practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• Reciprocal Causation
• Big Three Personality
• Classroom Interactions
• Teacher Interpersonal Behavior
• Achievement

Notes

[1] Eysenck's three-trait theory was preferred over the Big Five theory to measure personality in the present study despite their similarities (Costa & McCrae, 1992a, 1992b; Eysenck, 1992a, 1992b) based mostly on the parsimony of the measured constructs.Its parsimony means that it is relatively easy to incorporate in complex modeling analyses, and renders it an ideal starting point for studies seeking to evaluate the role and impact of personality in different contexts. The broader five-factor model may be subsequently employed in order to determine the predictive value of its incremental variance. Bearing certain exceptions (e.g., hypothesis testing), it is only after the role of the basic personality dimensions has been clarified that it makes sense to examine the potential relevance of narrower (lower-order) personality constructs. (Petrides, Chamorro-Premuzic, Frederickson & Furnham, 2005, p. 241)

[2] Closely related to Extraversion, Psychoticism, and Neuroticism, respectively (Costa & McCrae, 1992a, 1992b; Eysenck, 1992a, 1992b).