Impact of instructional quality and mathematical wellbeing on student achievement in mathematics education

Abstract

Background: Developing equitable outcomes for all students is a key focus in international research and policy. Instructional quality and student wellbeing are both recognised as foundational to this goal, yet their combined influence on mathematics achievement remains underexplored through a subject-specific wellbeing lens.Aims: This study examined whether three dimensions of observed instructional quality: Intellectual Quality, Cultural Connectedness, and Supportive Environment, predict student mathematical wellbeing and mathematics achievement, and whether mathematical wellbeing mediates these relationships.Sample: Participants included 1,149 culturally diverse students (Grades 3–10) and 137 teachers across 31 schools in New Zealand.Method: Structural equation modelling tested a mediation model using three data sources: classroom observations of instructional quality, student self-report via the Mathematical Wellbeing Questionnaire, and curriculum-levelled open-response tasks assessing mathematics achievement.Results: Mathematical Wellbeing was the strongest predictor of mathematics achievement (β = .429), surpassing all instructional dimensions. Intellectual Quality showed the largest total effect on achievement (β = .491), operating through both direct and indirect pathways via mathematical wellbeing (κ² ≈ .19, medium-to-large). Supportive Environment influenced achievement exclusively through mathematical wellbeing (κ² ≈ .10, medium), with a non-significant direct effect. Cultural Connectedness showed a small direct effect on achievement that did not operate through mathematical wellbeing.Conclusions: These findings position Mathematical Wellbeing as central to mathematics achievement, providing empirical support for integrating wellbeing into mathematics pedagogy as an infused approach. These results resonate with global policy calls to prioritise wellbeing alongside academic excellence and offer a replicable model for other subject disciplines seeking to embed wellbeing within curricular structures.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library), 2026 · DOI ↗