A meta-analysis of teachers’ provision of structure in the classroom and students’ academic competence beliefs, engagement, and achievement

Structure reflects a variety of practices teachers use with the intent to guide students' behavior and increase academic success. A research synthesis was conducted on the role of classroom structure in the academic engagement, disengagement, competence beliefs, and achievement of preschool through high school students. A meta-analysis of 191 samples from 165 correlational studies revealed statistically significant correlations with achievement (.11), engagement (.28), and competence beliefs (.22), and a statistically non-significant relationship with disengagement (–.08). A meta-analysis of 71 samples from 46 structure intervention studies revealed a positive statistically significant average effect (g) on achievement (0.33), engagement (0.46), and disengagement (–0.34), but a statistically non-significant effect for competence beliefs (0.26). Consistent with a dual process model of engagement, associations were stronger for engagement than disengagement. Results related to variation suggested some universality, particularly across grade levels, and underscored the importance of emphasizing anticipatory strategies, minimizing the controlling aspects of structure, and considering the broader context, including the country context, income background of students, or whether structure is paired with other psychological supports. Methodological features also explained variation, highlighting the importance of using methods that center teachers' and students' experiences and align with the nature of the focal outcome.