Intellectual Curiosity as a Mediator between Teacher–Student Relationship Quality and Emirati Science Achievement in PISA 2022

This study investigates the mediating role of intellectual curiosity (IC) in the relationship between teacher–student relationship quality (TSR) and science achievement among Emirati early adolescents. The objectives were to assess TSR’s predictive power on science achievement, evaluate IC’s impact on science achievement, examine the combined effect of TSR and IC, and investigate IC’s mediating role. Data from 17,475 valid cases in the PISA dataset were analyzed using Jeremy Hayes’ PROCESS macro, multiple regression models, and bootstrapping with 5000 resamples. The results indicated that TSR significantly and directly affects IC, which in turn positively influences science achievement. TSR’s direct effects on science achievement varied across cases, but IC consistently showed strong positive effects on science achievement, underscoring its critical role as a predictor of academic success. IC was found to significantly mediate the relationship between TSR and student performance. The findings suggest that enhancing both TSR and IC is essential for student success in science. The study’s implications for educational practices and policies include developing teacher training programs focused on building strong relationships with students and fostering intellectual curiosity through questioning and problem-solving. Specifically, educators should focus on skills and strategies for interacting with students, showing empathy, and forming strong relationships. Implementing ongoing practices that emphasize the intellectual aspects of learning can help students build curiosity, thereby improving their academic performance. The study provides valuable insights into the interactions between TSR and IC and their impact on students’ academic outcomes.