The Relationship between Teaching Effectiveness and Students’ Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Student Engagement

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between teaching effectiveness and students’ academic achievement, with particular focus on the mediating role of student engagement. The study was significant because effective teaching practices and active student participation are important for creating supportive learning environments and improving students’ educational outcomes. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used, and data were collected from 465 university students across four provinces of Pakistan through an adopted structured questionnaire administered online using Google Forms. The collected responses were organized in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using IBM SPSS through descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, multiple linear regression, demographic group comparisons, and mediation analysis. The findings showed that teaching effectiveness was positively and significantly associated with students’ academic achievement, indicating that effective instructional practices were linked with better academic outcomes. The results further showed that teaching effectiveness and student engagement significantly contributed to students’ academic achievement, highlighting the importance of both classroom practices and students’ active involvement in learning. Mediation analysis demonstrated that student engagement significantly mediated the relationship between teaching effectiveness and academic achievement, suggesting that effective teaching may support achievement partly by encouraging students to participate actively and remain involved in the learning process. The findings further indicated that academic achievement differed across some demographic characteristics, particularly age and educational level, while differences across gender and province were not statistically significant. The study concludes that improving teaching effectiveness while strengthening students’ engagement may provide a meaningful approach to supporting academic achievement in higher education. The findings may also assist educators and educational institutions in developing classroom practices that encourage participation, sustained learning interest, and positive academic outcomes.