Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that teachers’ motivating orientations can be conceptualized along a continuum from highly controlling through moderately controlling (or moderately autonomy supportive) to highly autonomy supportive. SDT also proposes that a teacher’s motivation toward teaching can be either intrinsic, extrinsic, or amotivation. Intrinsic motivation indicates that the teacher engages in teaching for the sake of experiences and for inherent satisfaction in teaching. An extrinsically motivated teacher teaches for externally regulated incentives or to avoid external blames. The absence of motivation is referred to as amotivation where an individual lacks the intention to teach. The purpose of the study was to examine the relations between pre-service teachers’ motivating orientation/styles and self-determination toward teaching. The results may enhance our understanding of the connection between philosophical beliefs and actual teaching motivation and provide evidence for training pre-service teachers for effective teaching.
Method:
Participants included 154 pre-service teachers (79 juniors and 75 seniors) in a physical education teacher preparation (PETE) program at a large, urban university in China. Teachers’ motivational orientation was assessed using the Problems in Schools Questionnaire. Situational motivation scale that reflects motivation for teaching physical education was used to measure pre-service teachers’ self-determined motivation to teach.
Analysis/Results:
A series of simultaneous multiple regression analyses were used. Regression results revealed that pre-service teachers’ moderately autonomy supportive orientation (MA) was a significant predictor of their intrinsic motivation (β =.29, p =.001) and identified regulation (β =.36, p <.001). In addition, MA negatively predicted pre-service teachers’ amotivation (β = -.18, p =.048). Results also suggested that highly controlling orientation was a strong predictor of external regulation (β =.30, p <.001) and amotivation (β =.16, p =.034).
Conclusions:
It has found that teachers who hold an autonomy supportive orientation are willing to identify students’ interests and support their internationalization of a school’s values and agenda. Further, this study suggests that moderately autonomy supportive might be optimal with respect to fostering self-determined motivation for teaching in physical education. The results also indicated that pre-service teachers who adopt a highly controlling motivating orientation are likely externally or amotivated toward teaching. In addition, research has revealed that teachers who reflect a controlling style are more likely to use extrinsic incentives and consequences in their teaching practice. Taken together, the findings suggest that teacher educators in PETE programs need to help pre-service teachers to understand the continuum of motivating orientation and nurture their autonomy supportive style.