Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In this dissertational study, the influence of teacher enthusiasm on students’ interest and motivation was investigated within the context of physics instruction. Because of the ambiguity of conceptualizations of teacher enthusiasm – as a personality-like and a behavioral aspect of teachers – in previous research, an integrative model was developed that considers both aspects. The concrete operationalization of the personality-like component of enthusiasm included teachers’ interest – in the two domains physics and physics instruction – and motivation. These were both investigated with questionnaires that were newly developed based on preexisting ones. The behavioral component of enthusiasm was realized as nonverbal and enthusiastic teaching behaviors and investigated with a rating system in which observers evaluated the teacher behaviors via videotaped lessons. To realize this approach, the study was incorporated into a large analysis of physics lessons (Quality of Instruction in Physics, QuIP), investigating the quality of physics instruction and its framework conditions in a pre-post design. The main aim of this dissertational study was to test for the enthusiasm model and evaluate the effect of its components on students’ interest and motivation in physics. It was hypothesized that both the personality-like and the behavioral component of enthusiasm positively influence student outcomes, whereas the behavioral component was assumed to be a mediator between the personality-like component and student outcomes. The testing for the enthusiasm model was done by means of correlational analyses and path models. With regard to the personality-like component, it could be ascertained that teachers’ interest in physics and physics instruction are distinct domains and both positively related to teacher motivation. Furthermore, it was found that both domains of interest are also negatively related to measures of burnout, indicating that interest – as could be enthusiasm – might be seen as a personal resource of teachers important for upkeep of psychological health. With regard to the behavioral component of enthusiasm, it was found that coded nonverbal and rated enthusiastic teaching behaviors are not interrelated which was against the hypotheses and attributed to the methodological approach in this study. Regarding student outcomes, instructional interest of teachers proved to be the more powerful than subject interest. Enthusiastic teaching as the behavioral component of enthusiasm is related to students’ interest and self concept, but not motivation. In total, about ten percent of students’ interest and motivation can be explained by the various variables within the enthusiasm model. However, the personality-like and behavioral component of enthusiasm could not be shown to be related. Therefore, enthusiastic teaching behaviors cannot be considered a manifestation of a trait-like enthusiasm as was hypothesized. In total, however, the newly developed model for teacher enthusiasm provides ground for further study. Beyond the limitations of this study, the directions for future research include a systematic approach to the mechanisms behind the influence of teacher enthusiasm on student outcomes as well as a reconsideration of the personality-like component, possibly in the realm of teacher emotions.
Author: Melanie M. Keller
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1526264488