Feeling and showing: A new conceptualization of dispositional teacher enthusiasm and its relation to students' interest

Abstract

Although teacher enthusiasm is a relevant variable in the teaching context, a clear definition is still lacking. Research on teacher enthusiasm is characterized by ambiguous conceptualizations of enthu siasm as either an affective characteristic of teachers or behaviors of expressiveness. Integrating these two notions, a new conceptualization of dispositional teacher enthusiasm, defined by teachers' positive affect and positive emotional expressivity, was developed. It was hypothesized that dispositional teacher enthusiasm would relate to students' interest, mediated by students' perceived teacher enthusiasm. Based on a correlational study design, secondary teachers (N ¼ 75) from Switzerland reported on their enthusiasm, complemented by student ratings (N ¼ 1523) on perceived enthusiasm and interest. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that dispositional teacher enthusiasm positively pre dicted students' interest, which was fully mediated by students' perceived enthusiasm, providing the basis of a valid definition of teacher enthusiasm. Based on this integrative definition, implications for future research are discussed.

The impact of physics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and motivation on students’ achievement and interest

“…The findings overall suggest that teachers' motivation determines their instructional behavior and hence students' outcomes (e.g., Butler & Shibaz, 2008;Schiefele & Schaffner, 2015). Among other influential factors, particularly teachers' motivation and their enthusiastic and inspiring teaching behaviors seem to affect students' motivational and affective outcomes Keller et al, 2014;, a fact for which there is tentative empirical evidence also in the science subjects (Bryan, Glynn, & Kittleson, 2011;Pickens & Eick, 2009; see also Potvin & Hasni, 2014).…”

“…Enthusiastic teaching is a "particular effective mode of delivering information to students" (Kunter et al, 2008, p. 469) and describes teachers' expressive style and generally energetic, animated, and inspiring teaching (Babad, 2007;Brophy & Good, 1986;Murray, 2007). Enthusiastic teaching is considered an element of high-quality teaching and is predictive of student outcomes, particularly of affective and motivational outcomes such as enjoyment (Frenzel, Goetz, L€ udtke, Pekrun, & Sutton, 2009; and interest (Frenzel, Goetz, Pekrun, & Watt, 2010;Keller, Goetz, Becker, Morger, & Hensley, 2014).…”

“…In research, teacher motivation has been investigated mainly in terms of self-efficacy beliefs (e.g., Dicke et al, 2014;Klassen & Chiu, 2011;Moe, Pazzaglia, & Ronconi, 2010; see also Woolfolk Hoy, Hoy, & Davis, 2009) and goal orientations (e.g., Butler, 2007Butler, , 2012Klassen, Perry, & Frenzel, 2012;Nitsche, Dickh€ auser, Fasching, & Dresel, 2011;Retelsdorf, Butler, Streblow, & Schiefele, 2010). Less often has teacher motivation been examined in terms of intrinsic motivation (see Kunter & Holzberger, 2013;Roth, 2013) or (positive) affect Keller et al, 2014;Kunter et al, 2008). The findings overall suggest that teachers' motivation determines their instructional behavior and hence students' outcomes (e.g., Butler & Shibaz, 2008;Schiefele & Schaffner, 2015).…”

“…Based on the intrinsic nature and combination of positive affect and value-related cognitions in interest (Krapp, 2007), it can be assumed that teacher motivation positively impacts students' interest. With regards to positive affect, teachers' teaching-related enjoyment or experienced enthusiasm has been shown to be transmitted to students in a way that supports their own enjoyment and subject-related interest (Keller et al, 2014). Research evidenced so far that this effect is facilitated via enthusiastic teaching behaviors: Teachers with higher levels of enjoyment exhibit higher levels of enthusiastic, enigmatic, and animated teaching Keller et al, 2014;Kunter et al, 2008).…”

“…With regards to positive affect, teachers' teaching-related enjoyment or experienced enthusiasm has been shown to be transmitted to students in a way that supports their own enjoyment and subject-related interest (Keller et al, 2014). Research evidenced so far that this effect is facilitated via enthusiastic teaching behaviors: Teachers with higher levels of enjoyment exhibit higher levels of enthusiastic, enigmatic, and animated teaching Keller et al, 2014;Kunter et al, 2008). Thereby, enthusiastic teaching can be understood as the corresponding instructional behavior through which teachers' interest as an affectively toned form of motivation is displayed and as such becomes visible during teaching and perceivable by students.…”