Differentiating Teachers' Social Goals as for Teacher-Student Relationships and Classroom Engagement

• In Event: Teachers' Motivation Matters: Exploring the Influence of Teacher Motivation for Teacher, Student, and Classroom Outcomes

Abstract

From a professional development perspective, teachers’ differing motives for building relationships with students remains underexplored. This study examined teachers’ social achievement goals from a multidimensional perspective in relation to teachers’ self-efficacy, teacher-student relationships, and perceived classroom engagement. Results from practicing K-12 teachers (N = 154) from across Canada showed three distinct goals including social mastery-approach, social mastery-avoidance, and social ability goals (combining performance-approach and -avoidance goals). Teachers who aimed to develop better social skills with students (mastery-approach) reported higher self-efficacy, better relationships with students, and greater classroom engagement. In contrast, social goal orientations focused on not losing connections with students (mastery-avoidance) or being well-liked (ability) did not predict any outcomes. Implications concerning growth mindsets pertaining to relationship building were discussed.

Authors

• Chiung-Fang Chang, McGill University

• Nathan C. Hall, McGill University

• Phoenix Horrocks, McGill University