Engagement and Secondary English Achievement: A Multi-Method Study of Climate, Family, and Psychological Capital

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70232/jrep.v3i4.265

Keywords:

Commonality Analysis, Dominance Analysis, English Achievement, Shared Variance, Student Engagement, Suppression Diagnostics

Abstract

English-language proficiency gates access to tertiary education, employment, and competitive examinations in India, yet large learning-outcome surveys continue to document wide variation in secondary-stage English achievement. Classroom climate, parental involvement, psychological capital, and student engagement are the constructs most often linked to such achievement, but their joint contribution is usually summarised through a single average-effect model. This study examines how these four constructs relate to English achievement among Indian secondary students, using a variance-decomposition framework that distinguishes unique from shared explanatory variance. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 1,605 students in classes XI and XII (52.6% female; mean age 16.74 years) drawn from 107 secondary schools in West Bengal, India. Six complementary variance-partitioning analyses were applied to the zero-order correlation matrix: a saturated structural equation model, dominance analysis, commonality analysis, suppression and redundancy diagnostics, mutual-information dependence decomposition, and community-aware bridge centrality. The full model accounted for 31.4% of the variance in English achievement. Engagement showed the strongest direct standardised association (β = .327) and the largest unique variance contribution (43.6% of explained variance). Commonality analysis indicated that only 29.7% of explained variance was uniquely attributable to single predictors, with 70.3% shared among combinations of predictors. Suppression diagnostics revealed no suppression but substantial redundancy for three of four predictors, and engagement showed the highest cross-domain bridge strength (BS = .722). Engagement appears as the most central associational construct in the system, but the four predictors operate substantially as overlapping representations of related learner and contextual processes rather than as independent unique contributors. Convergent associational evidence across multiple methods is stronger than evidence from any single method, but the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference; longitudinal and experimental work is needed before intervention claims can be made.

Author Biographies

  • Palash Majumder, School of Education, Rayat Bahra Professional University, Hoshiarpur, India

    Palash Majumder  is a research scholar in the field of Education. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the School of Education, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India. He holds a Master's degree in Education and English. With teaching experience in secondary education, he has developed a strong academic interest in English as a Second Language (ESL) pedagogy, classroom climate, student engagement, and educational psychology. He has authored and presented multiple research papers focusing on the relationship between classroom environment, parental involvement, and student achievement, with a special emphasis on psychological capital. His research interests include ESL achievement, student engagement, classroom climate, parental involvement, educational technology, and sustainable learning practices. He can be contacted at email: rajumajumder56@gmail.com

  • Nimisha Beri, Department of Teacher Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, India

    Dr. Nimisha Beri  is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, India. She holds a Ph.D. in Education and has over two decades of experience in teacher education, research, and academic leadership. Her areas of specialization include educational psychology, inclusive education, curriculum development, and teacher training. She has guided numerous research scholars at the postgraduate and doctoral levels and has published extensively in national and international journals. Dr. Beri has also contributed to curriculum reforms, policy discussions, and educational development projects. Her research interests include teacher professional development, classroom climate, inclusive practices, educational leadership, and the integration of technology in education. She can be contacted at email: berinimi@gmail.com

  • Parimal Sarkar, School of Education, Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata, India

    Parimal Sarkar is an Assistant Professor at the School of Education, Netaji Subhas Open University. His academic and research interests primarily focus on Environmental Studies and Education, Education and Society, Education of Backward Classes, Educational Environment, and other contemporary issues related to inclusive and socially responsive education. His scholarly work reflects a sustained engagement with the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of education, particularly in relation to equity, access, and educational development among marginalized communities. He is also interested in understanding the relationship between educational environments and learner development within diverse socio-educational contexts. He can be contacted at his email: p.sarkar@wbnsou.ac.in

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Published

2026-11-01

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Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026): Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy

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Copyright (c) 2026 Palash Majumder, Nimisha Beri, Parimal Sarkar

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How to Cite

Majumder, P., Beri, N., & Sarkar, P. (2026). Engagement and Secondary English Achievement: A Multi-Method Study of Climate, Family, and Psychological Capital. Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy, 3(4), 697–714. https://doi.org/10.70232/jrep.v3i4.265

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