THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHER SKILLS ON PUPIL VOLITION IN SCIENCE LEARNING: A NORWEGIAN INVESTIGATION OF THE STUDYING BEHAVIOURS OF 16-YEAR-OLDS

In a school system in which young people receive an ever greater degree of self-determination, it is important to study how the teacher can influence young people's motivation to work towards long-term goals in schoolwork. The purpose of this study is to investigate which teaching skills influence the volition of 16-year-olds. Structural equation modelling of cross-sectional surveys from one survey was used to estimate the path coefficients. The influence of teachers' skills on 16-year-olds' volition was estimated. The analysis indicates that the teacher's perceived ability to influence pupil volition is present, but modest. Classroom management has a moderately-high effect on pupil volition, whilst the teacher's press has only a moderate effect on pupil motivation. The teacher's relationship-building efforts have little effect on either pupil motivation or volition. The indirect effect from pupil motivation to pupil volition is of moderately-high strength. However, a cross-sectional study does not allow us to test causal relationships amongst personal antecedents of pupil volition. Teachers may exercise some influence over 16-year-olds' volition primarily by means of classroom management, but also in terms of pupil motivation via teacher press. Teachers may exploit this capacity to influence in order to improve pupil performance at school. For pupils lacking academic motivation, the teacher's efforts to motivate and to strengthen pupil volition are important, including in terms of social levelling. The study provides new knowledge about teacher influence on the volition of Norwegian 16-year-olds.