Relations between Teachers’ Goal Orientations, Their Instructional Practices and Students’ Motivation

Abstract

Relations between teachers' goal orientations, their instructional practices as expressed in perceived classroom goal structures and students' goal orientations were analyzed, focusing also on potential moderators. Results of a questionnaire study with 46 Mathematics teachers and their 930 students supported the assumption that teachers' goal orientations affect their instructional practices and students' goal orientations. These effects were, in part, moderated by teacher beliefs (implicit theories, self-efficacy beliefs). Overall, the results provided strong support for the notion that the mechanisms underlying these effects are based on the functionality of certain instructional practices for the attainment of teachers' goals.

Exploring the relationship between goal orientations for teaching of tertiary teachers and their teaching approaches in China

“…On the other, teachers' self-reports of their teaching practice might be affected by social desirability bias. In fact, some researchers have identified the limitation of assessing teachers' self-reported teaching and used student ratings (Butler and Shibaz 2008;Dresel et al 2013). Therefore, the perspective of students' perceptions of teachers' goals and teaching has the potential to complement the literature.…”

“…They expected their questionnaire to be applicable to both in-service teachers and teacher trainees and applied the questionnaire to studies of the relationship between teachers' goals and their work performance Nitsche et al 2013). To offset the limitation that some studies only assess teachers' instructions via selfreport, Dresel et al (2013) advanced the methods of assessment by integrating students' perceptions of classroom goal structures to complement the previous research literature. The findings of the study strongly support their hypothetical effect of teachers' goal orientations on their instructional behaviour.…”

Turkish Primary School Teachers’ Goal Orientations for Teaching

“…Skaalvik and Skaalvik's (2013) study has further revealed that teachers' goal orientations are effective in terms of their participation in school activities and getting professional satisfaction from teaching. Similarly, the study by Dresel et al (2013) has indicated that teachers' goal orientations also affect learners' goal orientations. It seems that students' learning objectives have a positive relationship with teachers' ability approach goal orientation while having a negative relationship with their work avoidance goal orientation.…”

“…For example, in the classroom environment created by the mastery goal orientated teachers, such processes as meaningful learning, giving personal opportunities for students' self-development and making students aware of their efforts and improvements are prioritized. On the contrary, in the classroom environments created by performance goal oriented teachers, a high concentration is given to students' success levels, correct answers are highly valued and only high-achieving students are rewarded by providing no privileges for low-achieving students (Dresel et al, 2013).…”

“…Many studies have indicated that teachers' goal orientations not only affect their teaching activities but also students' motivations in the classroom (Butler andShibaz, 2008, 2014;Dresel, Fasching, Steuer, Nitsche and Dickhäuser, 2013;Kucsera, Roberts, Walls, Walker and Svinicki, 2011). For example, in the classroom environment created by the mastery goal orientated teachers, such processes as meaningful learning, giving personal opportunities for students' self-development and making students aware of their efforts and improvements are prioritized.…”