Exploring Professional Commitment and Passion Among Norwegian High School Teachers

Harald Eriksen; Eyvind Elstad

doi:10.7577/pp.5929

Authors

Harald Eriksen OsloMet https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8897-1674
Eyvind Elstad University of Oslo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4369-0040

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7577/pp.5929

Abstract

High school teachers’ professional commitment and passion are about being dedicated and unwavering in their pursuit of teaching excellence. This study aims to explore the antecedents of Norwegian high school teachers’ professional passion. We investigated three factors—relational trust, teachers’ affective commitment to the school organisation, and teachers’ instructional self-efficacy—by conducting a survey of 246 Norwegian high school teachers and using structural equation modelling. Our findings reveal a positive relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and teachers’ professional passion, as well as a positive relationship between trust among teachers and their passion. Further, affective commitment to the school organisation is indirectly related to teacher passion via relational trust between teachers. We thus conclude that both teacher efficacy and trust between teachers are directly related to teachers’ passion, while teachers’ affective commitment to the school is indirectly related via relational trust. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1990.tb00506.x

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioural change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

Berliner, D. C. (2002). Comment: Educational research: The hardest science of all. Educational Researcher, 31(8), 18–20. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X031008018

Bidwell, C. E. (2013). The school as a formal organization. In J. March (Ed.), Handbook of organizations (pp. 972–1022). Routledge.

Brookfield, S. D. (2013). Powerful techniques for teaching adults. John Wiley & Sons.

Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. Russell Sage Foundation.

Burić, I., & Moè, A. (2020). What makes teachers enthusiastic: The interplay of positive affect, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 89, Article 103008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.103008

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.

Day, C. (2004). A passion for teaching. Routledge.

Day, C. (2009). A passion for quality: Teachers who make a difference. Tijdschrift Voor Lerarenopleiders, 30(3), 4–13.

Directorate of Education and Training (2023). The Norwegian Education Mirror 2022. https://www.udir.no/in-english/the-education-mirror-2022/

Elstad, E. (2002). Towards a model of strategic actions in the classroom: Games theory as research heuristic. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 46(1), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313830120115615

Fabelico, F., & Afalla, B. (2020). Perseverance and passion in the teaching profession: Teachers’ grit, self-efficacy, burnout, and performance. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(11), 108–119.

Firestone, W. A., & Pennell, J. R. (1993). Teacher commitment, working conditions, and differential incentive policies. Review of Educational Research, 63(4), 489–525. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543063004489

Frenzel, A. C., Goetz, T., Lüdtke, O., Pekrun, R., & Sutton, R. E. (2013). Emotional transmission in the classroom: Exploring the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 705–716. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014695

Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (1997). Revealing feelings: Facets of emotional expressivity in self-reports, peer ratings, and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(2), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.2.435

Gu, Q., & Day, C. (2007). Teacher resilience: A necessary condition for effectiveness. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(8), 1302–1316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.06.006

Haladyna, T. M., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2013). Developing and validating test items. Routledge.

Han, J., & Yin, H. (2016). Teacher motivation: Definition, research development and implications for teachers. Cogent Education, 3(1), Article 1217819. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1217819

Hargreaves, E., Berry, R., Lai, Y. C., Leung, P., Scott, D., & Stobart, G. (2013). Teachers’ experiences of autonomy in continuing professional development: Teacher learning communities in London and Hong Kong. Teacher Development, 17(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.748686

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.

Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel: A synthesis of over 2,100 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.

Holzberger, D., Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2013). How teachers’ self-efficacy is related to instructional quality: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 774–786. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032198

Huseyin, A. K. A. R. (2018). The relationships between quality of work life, school alienation, burnout, emotional involvement, and organizational citizenship: A study on teachers. European Journal of Educational Research, 7(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.7.2.169

Keller, M., Hoy, A. W., Goetz, T., & Frenzel, A. C. (2016). Teacher enthusiasm: Reviewing and redefining a complex construct. Educational Psychology Review, 28, 743–769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9354-y

Keller, M., Neumann, K., & Fischer, H. E. (2013). Teacher enthusiasm and student learning. In J. Hattie, & E. M. Anderman (Eds.), International guide to student achievement (pp. 247–249). Routledge.

Killen, R., & O’Toole, M. (2023). Effective teaching strategies (8th ed.). Cengage AU.

Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford publications.

Kouhsari, M., Huang, X., & Wang, C. (2023). The impact of school climate on teacher enthusiasm: The mediating effect of collective efficacy and teacher self-efficacy. Cambridge Journal of Education, 54(2), 143–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2023.2255565

Kunter, M. (2013). Motivation as an aspect of professional competence: Research findings on teacher enthusiasm. In Kunter, M., Baumert, J., Blum, W., Klusmann, U., Krauss, S., Neubrand, M. (Eds.), Cognitive activation in the mathematics classroom and professional competence of teachers: Results from the COACTIV Project (pp. 273–289). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5149-5_13

Kunter, M., Frenzel, A., Nagy, G., Baumert, J., & Pekrun, R. (2011). Teacher enthusiasm: Dimensionality and context specificity. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(4), 289–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.07.001

Lazarides, R., Fauth, B., Gaspard, H., & Göllner, R. (2021). Teacher self-efficacy and enthusiasm: Relations to changes in student-perceived teaching quality at the beginning of secondary education. Learning and Instruction, 73, Article 101435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101435

Lortie, D. C. (2020). Schoolteacher: A sociological study. University of Chicago Press.

Marston, S. H. (2010). Why do they teach? A comparison of elementary, high school, and college teachers. Education, 131(2), 437–454.

Mart, C. T. (2013). A passionate teacher: Teacher commitment and dedication to student learning. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 2(1), 437–442.

Mercurio, Z. A. (2015). Emotional involvement as a core essence of organizational commitment: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 14(4), 389–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484315603612

Meredith, C., Moolenaar, N., Struyve, C., Vandecandelaere, M., Gielen, S., & Kyndt, E. (2023). The importance of a collaborative culture for teachers’ job satisfaction and affective commitment. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00598-w

Parker, G. (2015). Teachers' autonomy. Research in Education, 93(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.7227/RIE.0008

Patrick, B. C., Hisley, J., & Kempler, T. (2000). “What’s everybody so excited about?”: The effects of teacher enthusiasm on student internal motivation and vitality. The Journal of Experimental Education, 68(3), 217–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103570

Perry, R. P., Abrami, P. C., & Leventhal, L. (1979). Educational seduction: The effect of instructor expressiveness and lecture content on student ratings and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71(1), 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.71.1.107

Phelps, P. H., & Benson, T. R. (2012). Teachers with a passion for the profession. Action in Teacher Education, 34(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2012.642289

Santoro, N., Pietsch, M., & Borg, T. (2012). The passion of teaching: Learning from an older generation of teachers. Journal of Education for Teaching, 38(5), 585–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2013.739796

Shao, G. (2023). A model of teacher enthusiasm, teacher self-efficacy, grit, and teacher well-being among English as a foreign language teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1169824. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1169824

Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326

Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2014). Teacher self-efficacy and perceived autonomy: Relations with teacher engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. Psychological Reports, 114(1), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.2466/14.02.PR0.114k14w0

Somech, A., & Bogler, R. (2002). Antecedents and consequences of teacher organizational and professional commitment. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(4), 555–577. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316102237672

Su, Y., Feng, L., & Hsu, C. H. (2018). What influences teachers’ commitment to a lifelong professional development programme? Reflections on teachers’ perceptions. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 37(2), 184–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2017.1397786

Tschannen-Moran, M. (2014). Trust matters: Leadership for successful schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00036-1

Tschannen-Moran, M., Hoy, A. W., & Hoy, W. K. (1998). Teacher efficacy: Its meaning and measure. Review of Educational Research, 68(2), 202–248. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068002202

Türk, E. F., & Korkmaz, Ö. (2022). Teachers' levels of dedication and commitment to their professions and attitudes to their professions. Participatory Educational Research, 9(5), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.101.9.5

Waldbuesser, C., Rubinsky, V., & Titsworth, S. (2021). Teacher emotional labor: Examining teacher feeling rules in the college classroom. Communication Education, 70(4), 384–401, https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2021.1936097

Wescott, S. (2022). The post-truth tyrannies of an evidence-based hegemony. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30, Article 95. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6178