Why teachers cooperate: an expectancy-value model of teacher cooperation

Abstract

While cooperation among teachers is considered an important indicator of school quality, the empirical evidence on the efficacy of teacher cooperation is manifold. Some findings show that cooperation leads to improvements in teachers’ professionalization by reducing stress, while others show positive effects with regard to students’ academic performance. In order to better comprehend – and ultimately promote – cooperation among teachers, conditions of successful cooperation – such as voluntariness, shared objectives, and trust – have been identified. Thus far, however, research has not focused on the individual motivations of teaching staff in terms of why they do or do not cooperate. To explore this topic both theoretically and empirically, an expectancy-value model will be employed. The theoretically derived model is tested empirically by means of a structural equation model using data gathered in the German [place holder] project (N = 582). The results indicate that the subjective value component, in particular personal relevance, is the decisive factor in determining why teachers cooperate in teaching-related forms of cooperation. It is therefore key for all forms of cooperation that the individual teacher voluntarily wants to cooperate and shows interest in doing so. No relationship is found between the expectation of success and cooperation.