Exploring the Relationships Among Chinese Tertiary Teachers' Goal Orientations for Teaching, Engagement, and Teaching Approaches

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Global Perspectives on Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of Chinese tertiary teachers’ goal orientations for teaching on approaches to teaching, as mediated by teacher engagement. In a survey of 597 Chinese tertiary teachers, the respondents placed particular emphasis on relational and mastery goals and expressed a preference for student-focused approaches to teaching. An emphasis on mastery goals was found to predict a preference for student-focused teaching, whereas ability-approach and work-avoidance goal orientations predicted a preference for teacher-focused teaching. Teacher engagement was found to significantly mediate the effects of ability-approach, mastery and work-avoidance goals on teacher-focused intention, student-focused intention and student-focused strategy. These results have significant implications for Chinese higher education institutions in light of their transition from teacher-focused to student-focused approaches to teaching.

Author

• Hongbiao Yin, Chinese University of Hong Kong