Abstract

Several factors are important determinants of students’ achievement. Students’ positive perceptions about these factors contribute to their achievement. Considering importance of students’ perceptions about themselves, teachers’ support, and institutional climate in influencing their academic achievement, this study specifically examines students' perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate for predicting their achievement. This research employed survey and correlational research designs. For this research, 372 students were randomly selected as a sample using cluster and stratified random sampling techniques. For data collection in this study, a questionnaire was adapted from Donahue (1994). For data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used, with help of SPSS. It was concluded from multiple regression analysis that university students’ achievement (i.e., dependent variable) can be significantly predicted from their self-perceptions, teachers’ support and institutional climate (i.e., independent variables).

Key Words

Achievement, Institutional Climate, Students’ Perceptions, Teachers’ Support.

Introduction

This section reviews literature especially on students’ perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate in relation to students’ achievement. Several factors have been cited in literature as potentially determinants of students’ achievement. For example, Hanushek (1968) postulated that students’ academic achievement is a function of their innate characteristics and the cumulative amount of human capital is shaped by their family, peers, school, and environment. Although, many researchers have examined students’ perceptions of various factors in relation to their learning outcomes, limited work is available on integrated students' self-perceptions as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate in relation to students’ achievement. This section, therefore, reviews literature on students’ perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate in relation to their achievement.

Self-perception has been discussed widely in literature. Orth, Robins, and Widaman (2012) argued that students’ academic self-perception refers to their awareness about themselves for performance. Positive self-perceptions about students’ academic abilities is highly important for their academic attainments (Bong & Skaalvik, 2003). An academic self-concept, therefore, is defined as students’ general feelings of performing poor or well in content areas (Mathew, 2017). Donahue (1994) asserted that self-concept refers to set of reference points or perceptions that individuals have about themselves; the set of attributes and characteristics; set of qualities and deficiencies; set of abilities and limits; and set of relationships and values that individuals know to be expressive of themselves. Mathew (2017) argued that scholarly work makes use of terms self-perception and self-concept interchangeably. In context of this study, the literature suggests a relationship between students’ self-perception and their academic achievement, but with varied nature.

Research findings indicate very different types of relationship, both predictive and associative, between students’ academic self-perceptions and achievement. Despite many studies, however, no conclusive findings have been emerged that visibly identify the direction of the relationship between two variables (Donahue, 1994). Ghazvini (2011) found that students’ academic self-concepts, in mathematics and literature, strongly and positively predict their performance. Orth et al. (2012) also reported that students with higher self-concepts are more popular, determined, 

cooperative, supportive and have higher expectations of their future success than students with lower self-concepts.

Students with high self-perceptions set higher goals and are more likely to be self-efficacious (Wentzel, 2003). Positive students’ self-perceptions also affect them socially and such students generally have strong relations with their peers (Orth et al., 2012). George, Broomes, Smith, and Anderson (2014) found that positive students’ self?perceptions of their competence cause many positive learning outcomes. Positive self-perceptions help students to develop a positive sense in them, which further leads to future social and learning social outcomes (Orth et al., 2012). Derrer-Rendall, Wesson, Anderson, and Bould (2009) argued that satisfactory level of students' self-perceptions uplifts their beliefs in own abilities and both their academic and non-academic performance.

In contrast to above-cited studies, some studies also suggest that students’ self-perceptions have no significant or very small influence on their achievement. For example, in a meta?analysis, George et al. (2014) found a small effect of students’ self?perceptions upon their academic achievement. Likewise, some other studies also found that students’ self-perceptions have not significant effect on students’ success, and their health (Krueger, Vohs, & Baumeister, 2008). Hansford and Hattie (1982) also believe that connection between students’ self-perceptions and their performance is neither precise nor clear. Based on diversity of literature, the results of research support all viewpoints. It is, therefore, valuable to examine the role of students’ self-perceptions as predictor of their achievement.

This study also investigates the role of teachers' support as a predictor of students’ achievement. Many studies revealed the use of teachers’ support for predicting students’ achievement. Wong, Tao, and Konishi (2018) found that instrumental teachers' support positively predicts students’ achievement in mathematic. Many studies revealed that teachers' support is helpful in achieving students' outcomes and in rousing learning motivation (Sakiz, Pape, & Hoy, 2012). Although teachers’ support is positively linked with students’ learning outcomes, but intensity of this linkage might differ depending upon type of support.

The types of teachers’ support has been explained well in Tardy (1985) model of social support. Based upon this model, teachers’ support comprises four types i.e., emotional; instructional; instrumental; and appraisal. Teachers’ emotional support refers to perceptions that teachers are encouraging, warm, and approachable. Instructional support refers to providing guidance to solve problems, while instrumental support refers to providing tangible support for enhancing students' learning. Lastly, appraisal support focuses on the provision of judgmental feedback (Wong et al., 2018).

The role of students’ perceptions about teachers’ support is also important in determining their learning outcomes. George et al. (2014) found that teachers’ support can predict students’ achievement in mathematics, and both have significant correlation. Research also revealed that teachers' support is likely to enhance students’ learning outcomes and engagement with studies. Scherer, Nilsen, and Jansen (2016) also found that high achiever students perceived their teachers to be significantly more supportive in improving their learning outcomes. Likewise, George et al. (2014) argued that caring and supportive teachers help students in transforming their school experience. George et al. (2014) further found that students' learning outcomes in language are positively related to the extent to which they perceive their teachers supportive and caring. Conversely, Hladky (2011) found weak relationship between students' perceptions about teachers’ support (i.e., respect, care, help, support, motivation) and their achievement.

Another important variable, in the context of this study, is the institutional climate. Moreover, it is also important to examine the role of students’ perceptions about institutional climate as a predictor of students’ achievement. The introduction of institutional climate as a variable that influence students’ achievement has been area of interest for researchers. Institutional climate refers to atmosphere, ethos, tone, or personality (Owens, 2004). Literature demonstrates that institutional climate is a significant factor in the failure or success of institutions. It refers to how students feel about environment, and promotes clear goals, collegial work, collaborative planning, a sense of community. Students’ perceptions about the institutional climate serves as a determinant of their academic achievement (Phelan, Davidson, & Cao, 1992). Lehr (2010) suggest that student perceptions about their environment influences their efforts in learning.

Many studies have found that institutional climate has very strong effect on students' outcomes (Lehr, 2010). Hanushek (1968) found that students’ sense of institutional unity is the powerful predictor of their achievement. Students with positive perceptions about climate generally have more positive attitudes towards their studies and achievements (Lehr, 2010). In addition to students’ learning outcomes, caring institutional climate is likely to reduce their involvement in violence, behavioral problems and abuse. Furthermore, caring and supportive institutional climate is likely to develop positive attitudes among students towards themselves and others, and also positive outcomes (Battistich, Solomon, Watson, & Schaps, 1997).

In conclusion, the above-cited literature reveals that students’ perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate are mostly positively related with their achievement. Most of these studies, however, have investigated the relationships of these three variables with students’ achievement individually or with other variables. Very limited studies have been conducted that examine collective relationship of these three dimensions of students’ perceptions (i.e., about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate) with their achievement. Furthermore, the role of students’ perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate for predicting their achievement has not been clearly examined. Finally, considering the value of students’ perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate at international level persuaded researchers a similar study in the context of Pakistan.

Considering the importance of students’ perceptions in exploring realities, it is vital to examine their perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate, both in general and especially in the context of Pakistan, along with their relationship with students’ achievement. This article is, thus, principally focused on examining students' perceptions about themselves as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate to predict their achievement. Finally, study examines correlation between (among) students’ achievement, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate at university level. This study will be significant for students, teachers, administrators, and policymakers in universities of Pakistan to improve students’ self-perceptions as learners, teachers’ support, and institutional climate.

Objectives

Main objective of this article was to examine students’ perceptions about themselves, teachers' support and institutional climate as a predictor of their achievement at university level. Key objectives of this research were examination of:

• The perceptions of university students about themselves as learners, their teachers’ support in learning, and institutional climate.

• Correlation between (and among) students’ achievement, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate at university level.

• The perceptions of students about themselves, the teachers' support and institutional climate as a predictor of their achievement, using regression analysis.

Research Methodology

Research Design and Participants

This study was descriptive in nature and both the survey and correlational research designs were used. This study was delimited to perceptions of students, studying at the five faculties of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. Total number of departments/institutes at these five faculties were 43. Of these 43 departments/institutes, 17 were randomly selected as clusters using proportionate stratified random method. Of 17 randomly selected departments/institutes, one undergraduate (BS) class was randomly selected as a cluster, thus resulting into a random selection of 17 classes. Total number of students, available on specific days of data collection, in 17 classes were 372. Of these 372 students, 190 students (i.e., 51.08%) were female and 182 (i.e., 48.92%) were male.

 

Research Tool

For data collection, a questionnaire was used as a research tool. This questionnaire was adapted from Donahue (1994) in the context of this study, and is available for open public access. The questionnaire comprised two parts. First part was designed to seek demographic information of the participants. The second part comprised 20 closed-ended items, designed on five-point Likert type scale as: Never (1), Not Often (2), Sometimes (3), Usually (4), and Almost Always (5). These 20 items were related to the students’ perceptions about themselves, about teachers’ support, and institutional climate. Reliability of tool was calculated both separately for all three set of items (i.e., self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate) and overall for all 20 items. Questionnaire was found to be highly reliable. Values of Cronbach’s Alpha for students’ self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate were found as 0.74, 0.76 and 0.67 respectively, with an overall value of 0.89 for tool, as shown in Table 1. The validity of questionnaire was determined by ensuring that all items are representing various dimensions of students’ self-perceptions, teachers' support and institutional climate. Reliability and validity of questionnaire was further certified by Donahue (1994), as it was adapted from the same.

Table 1. Reliability Statistics of the Scale

Data Collection and Data Analysis

Tool was administered by researchers to 372 students and same were collected back. Of these 372 students, 182 were male and 190 were female. The data were scored with a weightage of 1 for Never, 2 for Not Often, 3 for Sometimes, 4 for Usually and weightage 5 for Almost Always (5). For data analysis, the mean values, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, independent-sample t-test, and regression analysis were used, with help of latest version of SPSS.

Nature of items (Variable)	Value of Cronbach's Alpha	Number of Items
Students’ self-perceptions	.74	6
Teachers’ support	.76	8
Institutional climate	.67	6
All scale reliability statistics	.89	20

Results

The results have been presented in four sub-sections in response to objectives of this research. These four sub-sections are as follows.

 

Perceptions of Students about Self, Teachers’ Support, and Institutional Climate

To examine students’ self-perceptions about the degree to which they can learn, other people think about them, the level of hard work, and their confidence in them, the values of mean and standard deviations were calculated, and Table 1 shows these results.

Table 1. Students’ Self-Perceptions

S. No.	Students’ self-perceptions	Mean	SD
1	I believe I can learn most things well	3.50	0.99
2	Most of other people think that I do things well	3.37	0.92
3	I believe that I am a successful student	3.39	0.99
4	When I work hard, I do better	3.37	1.01
5	I'm satisfied with the way I handle most situations	3.45	0.92
6	I am confident that I can learn	3.42	1.02
7	Overall students’ self-perceptions	3.42	0.97

Table 1 shows that the mean values for all six statements lies between 3.37 and 3.50. All these values indicate that the level of university students’ self-perceptions about learning and doing most of thigs is above average. These results further show that students believe that they can lean most things well but at an average level. Likewise, students believe that their ability to do things well, being successful as a student, hard work, do better in studies, ability to handle the situations, and confidence in them as a learner is of above average level. Overall mean of 3.42 also confirms the same and it can be thus concluded that university students believe that they have positive perceptions about them but of moderate level. The values of standard deviation also indicate an average consensus of the participants. To examine students’ perceptions about the support provided by their teachers, values of mean and standard deviations were calculated, and Table 2 shows results.

Table 2. Perceptions of Students about Support Provided by their Teachers

S. No.	Nature of Support Provided by Teachers	Mean	SD
1	Study-related assignments	3.47	0.97
2	Applying learning	3.46	1.00
3	Subject-related homework	3.39	0.97
4	Utility of diverse resources/activities	3.43	0.91
5	Focus on group-work	3.38	0.96
6	Encouraging problem-solving	3.33	1.02
7	Interest in students’ learning	3.37	1.01
8	Interest in self-learning	3.44	0.96
9	Overall students’ perception about teachers’ support	3.41	0.97

Table 2 shows that the mean values for all eight statements lies between 3.33 and 3.47. These values indicate that university students perceive that a moderate level of support is provided by their teachers in matters related to their learning and studies. These results further show that students believe that teachers moderately support them by giving assignments related to their studies, support in applying learning, assigning homework that helps in learning, support in use of activities and resources, encouraging for problem-solving, and by taking interest in learning. Overall mean of 3.41 also shows that university students believe that their teachers provide an average level of support in their learning activities. The values of standard deviations indicate an average consensus of the participants. To examine students’ perceptions about institutional climate within the department, the values of mean and standard deviations were calculated, and results are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Perceptions of Students about the Institutional Climate

S. No	Perceptions of Students about Institutional Climate	Mean	SD
1	I/Students feel comfortable in institute/department	3.45	0.88
2	I feel comfortable in institute/department	3.47	0.83
3	Students/teachers working together	3.37	0.95
4	Friendly place	3.48	0.91
5	Accepting others	3.39	0.93
6	Fair treatment	3.42	1.01
7	Overall students’ perceptions about institutional climate	3.43	0.92

Table 3 shows that the mean values for all six statements lies between 3.37 and 3.47. All these values indicate that university students perceive that their institutional climate is little better than an average level. Results further show that students believe that their institutional climate is little better than average level in term of comfortability, working together, being a friendly place, acceptance of each other, and in treating fairly. Overall mean of 3.43 also shows that university students believe that institutional climate is little better than an average level, in supporting students’ learning. Values of standard deviations indicate consensus of participants.

 

Correlation between Perceptions of Students about Self, Teachers’ Support, Institutional Climate and their Achievement

To examine correlation between (among) students’ achievement, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate, Pearson correlation was used, as presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Correlation (Achievement, Self-Perceptions, Teachers’ Support, Institutional Climate)

Dependent and Independent Variables		Achievement	Self-perceptions	Teachers’ support	Institutional climate
Achievement	Correlation	1	.783**	.741**	.697**
	Sign. (Non-directional)		.000	.000	.000
Self-perceptions	Correlation		1	.794**	.718**
	Sign. (Non-directional)			.000	.000
Teachers’ support	Correlation			1	.694**
	Sign. (Non-directional)				.000
Institutional climate	Correlation				1
	Sign. (Non-directional)
** Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (non-directional).

Table 4 shows that the values of Pearson correlations between variables range from 0.694 to 0.794, with p-values less than 0.05. These values show a higher level of significant correlation between variables. It means that students’ achievements, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate are highly and significantly correlated with each other.

 

Regression analysis: Students’ perceptions about self, teachers’ support and institutional climate as a predictor of achievement

To examine the perceptions of students about themselves, the teachers' support and institutional climate as a predictor of their achievement, regression analysis was performed, and results are shown in Tables 5, 6, and 7. Table 5 presents model summary of regression.

Table 5. Summary

Model	R	R2	Adjusted R2	Standard error of Est.
1	.836a	.699	.694	.25742
a. Predictors: (Constant), self-perceptions, teachers’ support, institutional climate.
b. Dependent Variable: Achievement.

Table 5 indicates that value of multiple correlation coefficient (i.e., R) is 0.836. This value of R indicates that students’ self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate can serve as a good tool for prediction of students’ achievement. The value of "R Square" is 0.699, which indicates that three independent variables (i.e., self-perceptions, teachers’ support, institutional climate.) explain 69.90% of variability of our dependent variable, achievement. The results of statistical significance are shown in Table 6.

Table 6. An ANOVA (Statistical Significance)

Model		Sum of Squares	Df	Mean Squares	F	Sign.
1	Regression	27.972	3	9.324	140.705	.000a
	Residual	12.061	368	.066
	Total	40.033	371

a. Predictors: (Constant), self-perceptions, teachers’ support, institutional climate.

b. Dependent Variable: CGPA

The F-ratio (140.705) in Table 6 (i.e., ANOVA) shows that the independent variables (i.e., self-perceptions, teachers' support and institutional climate) significantly predict dependent variable (i.e., achievement), F (3, 368) = 140.705, p < .05 (i.e., regression model fits good to data). The estimated model coefficient is shown in Table 7.

Table 7. Estimated Coefficients

Model		Un-standardized Coef.			Standardized Coef.		T	Sign.
		B		Stand. Error		Beta
1		.705	.123				5.711	5.711
		.043	.009		.354		4.880	4.880
		.037	.007		.376		5.363	5.363
		.025	.008		.183		2.993	2.993
		.705	.123
a. Dependent Variable: CGPA

Based on results of Table 7, following general form of the equation (i.e., the estimated model coefficients) was emerged to predict students’ achievement from their self-perceptions, their teachers’ support, and institutional climate:

 

Predicted Achievement =    0.705 + (0.043 x self-perceptions) + (0.037 x teachers’ support) + (0.025 x institutional climate)

Unstandardized coefficients in Table 7 further indicate the amount of dependent variable that changes with one independent variable once independent variables (all other) are kept constant. For example, value of un-standardized coefficient, B₁, for students’ self-perceptions is 0.043. It shows that for each one-unit increase in students’ self-perceptions, there is an increase of one unit in students’ achievement. Table 7 also shows that p < .05, which means that all independent variable coefficients (i.e., students' self-perceptions, teachers' support and institutional climate) are statistically significantly different. It is clear from Table that the most valuable independent variable to predict students' achievement is their self-perception, followed by teachers’ support, and institutional climate respectively. The similar results were observed in Table 4.

In conclusion, a multiple regression was used to predict university students’ achievement (i.e., dependent variable) from their self-perceptions, teachers’ support and institutional climate (i.e., three independent variables). These three independent variables statistically significantly predicted students' achievement, F (3,368) = 140.705, p < .005, R² = .699. These three variables added statistically significantly in prediction, p < .0

Discussion

This study found that university students moderately believe that they can do things well, would be successful as a student, likely to be hard working, would do better in studies, have ability to handle the situations, and have confidence in them as a learner. Overall, it was concluded that university students believe that they have positive perceptions about them but of moderate level. The similar results were observed for perceptions of students about the support provided by the teachers and for institutional climate. It was found that moderate support is provided to students by their teachers in matters related to their learning and studies. Likewise, university students perceive that their institutional climate is little better than average level, in supporting students’ learning.

Values of Pearson correlations between variables showed a higher and significant correlation between variables. A multiple regression analysis found that university students’ achievement (i.e., dependent variable) can be significantly predicted from their self-perceptions, teachers’ support and institutional climate (i.e., three independent variables). Overall, these findings are aligned with findings of other researchers (George et al., 2014; Mathew, 2017; Scherer et al., 2016).

Conclusions

Three conclusions were drawn from this research, in response to objectives.

• First, it was concluded from this study found that university students believe that they have positive perceptions about them but of moderate level. They believe that they can do things well, would be successful as a student, likely to be hard working, would do better in studies, have ability to handle the situations, and have confidence in them as a learner, but all these little more than sometimes. The similar results were observed for perceptions of students about the support provided by the teachers and for institutional climate. It was also concluded that a moderate support is provided to students by their teachers in matters related to their learning and studies. Likewise, university students perceive that their institutional climate is little better than an average, in supporting students’ learning.

• Second, it was found that the values of Pearson correlations between variables showed a higher and significant correlation between variables. The results showed that students’ achievements, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate are highly and significantly correlated with each other.

• Finally, a multiple regression analysis found that university students’ achievement (i.e., dependent variable) can be significantly predicted from their self-perceptions, teachers’ support and institutional climate (i.e., three independent variables).

Recommendations

Several recommendations have been made for students, teachers, administrators, policy makers and for institutions. First, this study observed that although the perceptions of students about themselves is positive, but it is just little more than average. It is, therefore, recommended for students and teachers to work on promoting students' higher self-beliefs. Second, this study observed that students believe that teachers’ support and institutional climate are little more than satisfactory level. It is, therefore, recommended for the teachers, administrators, and institutes to work on improving teachers’ support and institutional climate for better learning of students. Third, it was observed that students’ achievements, self-perceptions, teachers’ support, and institutional climate are highly and significantly correlated with each other. A multiple regression analysis also found that university students' achievement (i.e., dependent variable) can be significantly predicted from their self-perceptions, teachers’ support and institutional climate (i.e., independent variables). On basis of these result, it is recommended for students, teachers, and administrators to consider this relationship while teaching, providing support to students, and establishing institutional climate.

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