On the role of teacher motivation and interpersonal relationships for becoming and remaining a teacher

Résumé 0

In the context of the current shortage of teachers, motivation and interpersonal relationships play a central role. First, they are related to critical factors of optimal human functioning, such as well-being, and are therefore considered a protective factor against teacher attrition. Second, they can be understood as malleable and changeable, which makes them the subject of teacher education research. This malleability and changeability can be traced back to judgments, so-called appraisals, and related or underlying cognitive processes that help teachers assess daily professional experiences and situations based on goals and the social context. This perspective has not guided teacher education research so far. In order to address this desideratum, this cumulative dissertation draws on established psychological theories and combines them by means of an approach from the coping tradition that stresses the role of appraisal. Initial opportunities to promote motivation, positive interpersonal relationships and well-being can be derived from this. The findings from Article 1 revealed that student teachers witnessed a surge in utility beliefs through systematic reflection on their achievement-related experiences, with those experiencing high emotional cost benefiting the most. Article 2 uncovered a high degree of intraindividual fluctuation in basic psychological needs during the teaching practicum, with school mentoring, but not university mentoring, being decisive for the overall satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Lastly, Article 3 demonstrated that affective, dyadic principal–teacher relationships acted as mediators in the relationship between work pressure and facets of teacher burnout in primary and secondary school teachers. Overall, the results provide initial insights into why it is necessary to support teachers in recognizing, interpreting and questioning the appraisals that underlie their emotions, motivation and, ultimately, their well-being.