A Systematic Review of Teachers’ Causal Attributions: Prevalence, Correlates, and Consequences

Abstract

The current review provides an overview of published research on teachers’ causal attributions since 1970s in the context of theoretical assumptions outlined in Weiner’s (2010) attribution theory. Results across 79 studies are first examined with respect to the prevalence of teachers’ interpersonal causal attributions for student performance and misbehavior, as well as intrapersonal attributions for occupational stress. Second, findings showing significant relations between teachers’ attributions and their emotions and cognitions, as well as student outcomes, are discussed. Third, an overview of results showing the prevalence and implications of teachers’ causal attributions to be moderated by critical background variables is also provided. Finally, observed themes across study findings are highlighted with respect to the fundamental attribution error and the utility of Weiner’s attribution theory for understanding how teachers’ explanations for classroom stressors impact their instruction, well-being, and student development.

Teachers’ Psychological Characteristics, Teacher Effectiveness, and Within-Teacher Outcomes: An Integrative Review

“…The theory of causal attributions is concerned with causes individuals ascribe to their success or failure events and the implications of these causal attributions (see e.g., Weiner, 2000). In their systematic review, H. Wang and Hall (2018) distinguished between in-service teachers' attributions regarding students (referred to as interpersonal attributions) and attributions regarding themselves (referred to as intrapersonal attribution). Interpersonal attributions focused on student performance and student misbehavior, and the teachers' intrapersonal attributions on teachers' own occupational stress.…”

“…On a related note, as mindfulness interventions have revealed effects on self-efficacy too (Klingbeil & Renshaw, 2018), some of their elements may be integrated in future self-efficacy interventions. Furthermore, interventions for teachers could be fueled by insights on causal attributions, as the systematic review of H. Wang and Hall (2018) highlighted the potential usefulness of shifting intrapersonal attributions for occupational stress to internally controllable factors in order to facilitate adaptive and counteract maladaptive well-being components.…”

“…Although experienced enthusiasm has been shown to be related to teacher well-being, we are hesitant to suggest interventions to increase enthusiasm (see also Keller et al, 2016) due to potential risks of teachers simply pretending to feel enthusiastic. Faking enthusiasm should come with detrimental instead of beneficial well-being consequences (see research on emotional labor strategy surface acting; H. Wang & Hall, 2018;Yin et al, 2019). Nonetheless, we cautiously propose that future interventions might want to explore letting teachers reflect on aspects of their job, their subject etc.…”

“…For relations between teacher effectiveness outcomes in the sense of student achievement and psychological characteristics, effect sizes were, in general, smaller than those for wellbeing outcomes, ranging between positive small-to-trivial (self-efficacy; Klassen & Tze, 2014) to positive small (teacher expectations interventions; De Boer et al, 2018) and mixed (Big Five personality domains; . Systematic reviews noted indications of positive (reciprocal) relations between student achievement and teachers' expectations (S. , enthusiasm (Keller et al, 2016), and positive internal causal attributions (attributions to effort and achievement; H. Wang & Hall, 2018). The at-best small effects might be disappointing to some; however, if we keep in mind that it has long been known that the major source of achievement variance lies within students (e.g., Deary et al, 2007;Hattie, 2003), we should scale down our expectations and value the small yet potentially meaningful contribution of specific teacher psychological characteristics.…”

How Do Teacher Affective and Cognitive Self-Concepts Predict How Do Teacher Affective and Cognitive Self-Concepts Predict Their Willingness to Teach Challenging Students? Their Willingness to Teach Challenging Students?

“…However, attribution theory (Weiner, 2010) found teachers' perceptions of students to be correlated with their emotions, which affect their teaching behaviours. For example, teachers who attribute students' low academic performance to a lack of ability tend to show more empathy with these students, and are more willing to provide support for these students (see Wang & Hall, 2018). In addition, teacher self-concept is strongly correlated with emotional exhaustion (Zhu et al, 2018), partly due to challenges in relation to students (Aloe et al, 2014;Chang, 2013).…”