Examining the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy on realistic mathematics education: A structural equation modeling approach

This study aimed to examine how teachers’ self-efficacy mediates the relationship between realistic mathematics education and learners’ mathematics achievement, which involved 396 junior high school math teachers and a sample of 7621 students. The study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The questionnaires were developed with consideration for the three main constructs that the study identified. The structural equation model was used to analyze the questionnaires. The findings demonstrated that the application of realistic mathematics teaching methods directly improves students’ mathematical achievement. Once more, students’ achievement in mathematics is directly positively impacted by teachers’ self-efficacy. Ultimately, there was a positive and statistically significant mediation effect of teacher self-efficacy on the relationship between learners’ mathematical achievement results and realistic mathematics education.