Developing and Measuring Faculty Motivation to Teach in Higher Education

Currently, little research exists that speaks specifically to the motivation of faculty to teach in higher education settings. Given the changes that higher education has faced over the last few decades, the demographics of the faculty has transformed. The competing demands of research, teaching, and service challenge faculty at every juncture, and some have suggested that throughout this process, it is the students who are losing. What motivates faculty in higher education to teach, and what are the factors that contribute to that motivation? To answer this question, faculty motivation to teach was explored through the theoretical frameworks of teacher efficacy, achievement goals, and task values. In addition, constructs of work-life, satisfaction and perceptions of student motivation were employed. This study found support for a bifactor exploratory structural equation model (BF-ESEM), where a latent underlying factor defined as motivation to teach was identified. Above and beyond the motivation to teach general factor, each of the 11 specific motivational factors of teacher efficacy, achievement goals, and task values were identified. Further, several factors including perceptions of student motivation were found to positively impact motivation to teach, while research requirements were found to negatively impact motivation to teach. Worklife, satisfaction and motivation to teach were all found to negatively impact intent to leave