Investigating the impact of attitudes and learning environment on math achievement: Insights from the TIMSS data

Students' mathematics attitudes and learning environment, including perceived instructional clarity, are associated with achievement, but these relationships may vary substantially across different national sociocultural contexts. This study investigated the complex interplay among perceived teachers' instructional clarity, math enjoyment, and math value in relation to math achievement, while considering socio-cultural differences across countries. Data from 276,020 eighth grade students (49.51% girls) across 40 countries participating in TIMSS 2023 were analyzed. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect effects of perceived instructional clarity on math achievement via math attitudes, accounting for socio-cultural heterogeneity. Results showed that perceived instructional clarity was positively associated with math enjoyment and value, while enjoyment was positively and value negatively associated with achievement. Perceived instructional clarity showed a small positive direct effect on achievement and significant indirect effects through math attitudes, with pathways differing in direction. Higher Gender Gap Index was associated with better math achievement but lower levels of math enjoyment and perceived instructional clarity. Home educational resources showed the strongest positive association with math achievement. These findings suggest that individual and environmental factors are jointly associated with students' math learning and performance, highlighting the importance of accounting for socio-cultural differences in educational research.