I want to know whether teacher motivation improves pupil performance, or whether it is higher pupil performance that motivates teachers. Is it possible to determine this? If yes, how would you do that?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

This is a classic cause and effect question, and quite difficult to determine. Remember, three things need to be true to determine cause and effect: a relationship, a time order
and the assurance that the relationship has not been caused by an underlying variable we haven’t measured. Both teacher motivation and pupil performance are easily measurable
through tests and surveys, so the first condition, a relationship, is easily establishable. That is not the case for the other two factors. To determine whether another variable might be the cause of the relationship we would have to either collect data on all possible confounding variables, which would be exceptionally difficult, or conduct an experimental study. To determine time sequence it would again be best to conduct an
experimental study, or else study the phenomenon over a longish time period so we can measure change. To conduct an experiment, (the best option in terms of determining
causality), would be difficult, as we would somehow need to manipulate teacher motivation or pupil achievement. Not only would this be hard to do, but there would be some clear ethical difficulties in doing this.