Teacher Strategies, Learning Environment and Student Achievement: Motivation as a Mediating Factor

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of teacher strategies in integrating character values ​​and the learning environment on student learning outcomes, with motivation as a mediating variable. The study was conducted using a quantitative approach through a causal survey design. The study population included 137 seventh-grade junior high school students in Bone District, Bone Bolango Regency, with a sample of 95 students determined using a purposive sampling technique. Primary data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and learning outcome tests, while secondary data were obtained from school documents and grade archives. The research instruments were tested for validity and reliability, then analyzed using path analysis. The results showed that integrated learning strategies with character values ​​had a significant and direct effect on student learning outcomes. The learning environment had a significant effect on motivation. However, it did not have a direct effect on learning outcomes. Student motivation was in the outstanding category, but it was not proven to be significant as a mediating variable between teacher strategies, the learning environment, and learning outcomes. Simultaneously, teacher strategies and the learning environment explained 65.9% of the variation in motivation, while the combination of both with motivation only explained 26.8% of the variation in learning outcomes. This study concluded that character-based teacher strategies were a direct determinant of increased academic achievement, while the learning environment played a significant role in strengthening motivation. The primary significance of this study is to provide empirical evidence that character-based learning needs to be supported by meaningful instructional designs such as active learning, project-based learning, and formative assessment so that motivation can be converted into tangible achievements.