Independent and joint effects of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy on math achievement in primary school student: Variable-oriented and person-oriented analyses

Limited research has explored how perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy jointly impact math achievement, as emphasized by social cognitive theory. This study uses both variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches to examine their joint and independent effects. Additionally, it investigates gender differences in math achievement and the moderating role of gender in the impact of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy. Chinese primary school students (n = 1725, Mage = 8.97, 41.62 % girls) in grades 3 and 4 participated. Results show: (1) T1 math self-efficacy positively predicts T2 math achievement in structural equation modeling, with perceived teacher support demonstrates a short-term predictive effect at T1. (2) Significant gender differences in T1 math achievement diminish over time. (3) Person-oriented analysis revealed both the independent and joint effects of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy on math achievement. These findings offer insights into factors influencing math achievement and ways to enhance it. The study reveals that perceived teacher support independently influences math achievement, suggesting the need for extra support for students with low perceived teacher support. Additionally, it emphasizes the compensatory effect of math self-efficacy, advising practitioners to maintain support for students with low math self-efficacy and high perceived teacher support, and to actively nurture math self-efficacy for those with high math self-efficacy and low perceived teacher support. The joint effect of math self-efficacy and perceived teacher support underscores the importance of tailored support to enhance both aspects. Finally, addressing gender differences, the study highlights the need to provide enhanced support for male students in educational practice.