Examining the dimensionality of pre-service teachers' enthusiasm for teaching by combining frameworks of educational science and organizational psychology.

Denise Bock,Daniela Mahler,Ute Harms,Gwo-Jen Hwang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259888

Denise Bock, Daniela Mahler + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259888

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to obtain a holistic understanding of pre-service teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching (a subject) by examining its structure as well as relevant factors that may be related to it in the first phase of teacher education. For this purpose, we considered two strands of research: educational science and organizational psychology. Accordingly, the professional competence model and the job demands and resources model helped to identify factors that are associated with pre-service teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching. Responses of 211 pre-service biology teachers indicated that enthusiasm for teaching can be considered as one-dimensional. Moreover, we found positive relationships between enthusiasm for teaching and academic self-concept, intrinsic career choice motives and occupational commitment. In contrast, we detected negative relations between enthusiasm for teaching and both emotional exhaustion and intention to quit. No significant relations could be found for enthusiasm for teaching and both professional knowledge and extrinsic career choice motives. Our findings highlight the importance of enthusiasm for teaching in the earliest stage of teachers’ careers. Thus, our study points out relevant factors that could help to maintain high enthusiasm and to keep (pre-service) teachers healthy and in the profession.

Highlights

Descriptions of ‘ideal teachers’ frequently include competence
Our confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which we applied to investigate the empirical structure of enthusiasm for teaching, suggested that Model 1 and Model 2 fitted the data
The regression analysis revealed no significant relationships between enthusiasm for teaching and the considered dimensions of professional knowledge (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Descriptions of ‘ideal teachers’ frequently include competence. The most competent teachers only assist students’ learning if they are healthy and stay in the profession. High rates of teachers’ absenteeism and attrition suggest that teachers’ health and well-being are important [1,2,3,4] and should be fostered as early as possible. Enthusiasm of teachers is a key element of their competence and health, for several reasons. As an affective motivational orientation, enthusiasm is an important component of teachers’ professional competence [5,6,7]. Teachers’ enthusiasm enhances students’ enjoyment, interest and motivation [8–

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