TEACHERS’ SELF-DETERMINED MOTIVATION IN RELATION TO NON-TEACHING WORK TASKS

The present article reports on two studies (pilot and main) aiming to examine the psychometric properties of two scales assessing (a) teachers’ work motivation and (b) their involvement in non-teaching work tasks, and to explore the associations between the two constructs under the theoretical framework of self-determination theory (SDT). A Greek version of Blais’ Work Motivation Inventory (BWMI-TGr) was adapted for teachers, and a new instrument measuring teacher behaviour relevant to non-teaching work tasks was developed. Rigorous analyses supported the construct validity and internal consistency of the scales used. The findings suggested that teachers’ intrinsic motivation presents the most optimal patterns of relationships with non-teaching work behaviours, such as preparation for teaching, professional training, education-related reading, collaboration with parents, and participation in the school’s cultural activities. Identified and introjected regulations exhibited positive relationships only with teacher involvement in cultural activities, whereas external regulation had no positive relationship with non-teaching work tasks. The findings are discussed through the lens of SDT and strategies are proposed for school climate improvements, which target the cultivation of teachers’ intrinsic motivation at work.  Article visualizations

CAPTURING TEACHER BASIC NEEDS SATISFACTION: VALIDATION EVIDENCE FOR THE GREEK SCALE MEASURING PE TEACHERS’ BNS

According to self-determination theory, teachers’ basic needs satisfaction is essential for the quality of their motivation, teaching, and work behavior. Considering the lack of valid and reliable instruments measuring teachers’ basic needs satisfaction (for autonomy, competence and relatedness) within the Greek context, we evaluated the factorial validity and internal consistency for the Greek version of the Basic Needs Satisfaction Scale for Teachers (BNSST; Longo et al., 2016). Standard back-translation procedures were followed. Focusing on Physical Education (PE) teachers, the validity of the measure was evaluated via two cross-sectional studies with samples of pre-service (n=109; study 1) and in-service (n=91; study 2) teachers. The psychometric properties of the instrument were established through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alphas, and latent variables’ associations with external criteria. In both studies, factor analyses results supported the construct validity of the 9-item, 3-correlated factors model, producing satisfactory goodness of fit indices, suggesting that the three needs are positively related with each other. Internal consistency analysis produced acceptable values for all the scales of the study. In line with theoretical assumptions and past research evidence, latent variables correlations with external criteria showed that basic needs satisfaction connects positively with their beneficence, cooperation willingness, intrinsic motivation and identified regulation. Furthermore, structural equation modeling revealed a positive connection between teachers’ general basic needs satisfaction and their autonomous motivation, work engagement, and work satisfaction, suggesting that the fulfillment of teacher basic needs can positively predict their well-being at work. The present findings suggest that the BNSST-GR has good psychometric properties and provide initial support for the instruments’ validity and reliability. Such measurements may prove useful in examining Greek teachers’ basic needs satisfaction in a variety of work-related contexts (e.g., teacher professional development).  Article visualizations

Teachers' motivation to participate in training and to implement innovations

Based on Self-determination theory, a mixed method design was used to explore 218 teachers' motivation and intentions regarding participation in training and teaching of an innovative academic subject (i.e., Research Project). Structural equation modeling revealed that autonomous motivation positively predicted teacher intentions to participate in relevant training and to implement innovation in the future, while controlled motivation did not. The findings imply that policy makers should encourage strategies that foster teacher autonomous motivation for promoting successful implementations of educational innovations. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Teachers' self-efficacy, achievement goals, attitudes and intentions to implement the new Greek physical education curriculum

The network of relations between Physical Education (PE) teachers' self-efficacy, goal orientations, attitudes, intentions and behaviours concerning the implementation of a new PE curriculum was examined. Participants were 290 Greek junior high school PE teachers. Two years after the introduction of the new curriculum, participants responded to de-identified questionnaires with acceptable psychometric properties. Mastery-oriented and high self-efficacious teachers had positive attitudes towards the new curriculum, implemented the biggest number of teaching plans and they intended to do the same in the future. Performance approach goal orientation had low positive relationship with the implementation of teaching plans and no relationship with intention to do the same in the future, while performance avoidance goal was not related to any determinant of curriculum implementation and intention. The effects of mastery goal orientation on intention and behaviour were mediated by self-efficacy to achieve an educational aim which is an end in itself, that is, the promotion of students' self-regulation in exercise settings. The effects of performance approach goal orientation on behaviour were mediated by self-efficacy to achieve a curricular goal which is a means to promote other educational aims, that is, the adoption of student-centred teaching styles. Teaching experience was negatively related to implementation of the new curriculum and with most of its determinants. Strategies aiming to strengthen teachers' self-efficacy, mastery goals, attitudes and intentions to implement a new curriculum are suggeste

Leaders fostering teachers' learning environments for technology integration

This chapter addresses how school leaders can support teachers’ professional learning and technology integration through a learning design perspective. Through this perspective, teachers engage in sense making to enact policy through teaching and learning. This can afford an authentic and contextualized approach to teachers’ professional learning. To do this it is necessary for school leaders to create a culture of learning and experimentation. School leaders can do this through fostering teachers’ engagement in contemporary professional learning,such as developing personal learning networks and communities. These can be online or face-to-face in local schools, or a mixture of the two, formal or informal,and structured or unstructured. The chapter highlights that professional learning should be flexible and personalized to teachers’ contexts. This is increasingly possible as teachers have access to diverse networks and communities, which support engagement with a wide range of professionals, resources, and experiences that may not be available in local schools. The chapter concludes with recommendations on how school leaders can employ a learning design perspective to create this includes opportunities for teachers to make sense of technology integration and experiment and continuously learn to support digital technology use in their school context